The observatory of east China's Zhejiang Province issued an emergent warning, urging local people to get fully prepared for the approach of Typhoon Saomai, which turned into a violent typhoon by 18:00 PM Wednesday.

Some meteorologists from the observatory said that the typhoon might grow stronger.

As of 8:00 PMWednesday, the center of Saomai, the eighth typhoon of this year, was located at sea about 543 kilometers southeast of Wenzhou City in Zhejiang and is moving northwestward at a speed of 25 km to 30 km per hour.

The observatory said Saomai is very possible to land within 24 hours in the areas between Wenling of Zhejiang Province and Changle in Fujian Province.

The Zhejiang provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters has already relocated 167,249 people from the places that are likely to be hit by Saomai.

In Fujian, 266,000 people have been evacuated to safer places.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2006)