Typhoon Aere, the 18th typhoon this year and the second strongest to hit the mainland, is expected to make landfall between Lianjiang and Quanzhou in east China's Fujian Province on Wednesday afternoon. The Central Meteorological Observatory believes it will remain throughout the night.

As of 5:00 AM Wednesday, the eye of the typhoon was approximately 240 kilometers east of Fuqing City, Fujian Province.

Aere will bring moderate to gale force winds to the Bashi and Balingtang channels, most of Taiwan and the Taiwan Straits, the East China Sea and northeastern South China Sea and the Yangtze River Estuary, as well as eastern portions of Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong provinces, from daytime Wednesday through Thursday.

Torrential rains are expected to hit most of Taiwan, Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, eastern Jiangxi province and northern and eastern Guangdong Province.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs issued emergency typhoon warnings to Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces on Tuesday, evacuating 249,000 people from coastal areas in Zhejiang. Emergency rescue teams are already in place in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.

In Fujian Province, residents in Ningde, Fuzhou and Quanzhou cities were warned to be alert for possible mudslides resulting from the typhoon.

Coinciding with the autumn tide, the typhoon is expected to bring the surface wind along Zhejiang's Qiantang River to force 5 to 6, strong enough to pose a danger to ships.

Some 31,500 fishing boat have been called back to harbor.

Zhejiang is still recovering from the pounding it took from Typhoon Rananim, which killed more than 170 people when it slammed into the province on August 12.

Typhoon Aere pounded northern Taiwan with torrential rains and powerful winds Tuesday. Financial markets, public offices and schools were closed in many parts of the island and local media report that power was cut off in more than 20,000 homes. The typhoon is expected to affect the province for two more days.

Hong Kong radio stations reported on Tuesday that the typhoon has left two people dead and three others missing.

(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily, China.org.cn August 25, 2004)