The coastal city of Dalian in the northeastern province of Liaoning was spared devastation Monday as typhoon Matsa weakened to a low pressure.

 

According to the Dalian Observatory, typhoon Matsa, the ninth tropical storm this year, reached the southern offing of Bohai Sea in the afternoon of August 8 and lingered around its central and southern parts.

 

By Tuesday morning, Matsa had weakened to a low pressure, and trailed off in Longwangtang Town between Dalian and Lüshun at 7:10 AM. Central air pressure was 99,500 Pa and wind power a high of level 6.

 

The Dalian Observatory decided not to sound the tropical cyclone alarm.

 

Heavy rain and storms hit Dalian at about 1:00 AM Monday. As at 8:00 AM Tuesday, the city collected rainfall of about 175 millimeters.

 

 

(China.org.cn by Zhou Jing, August 9, 2005)