Ships are being called back to harbor and residents evacuated as incoming Typhoon Kaemi approaches southeastern China's Fujian, Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces, according to local authorities on Monday.

As at 6 PM Monday in Zhejiang, over 25,000 ships had sought shelter in protected harbors, 80,000 people in low-lying areas were evacuated to higher ground, and 185 million cubic meters of water in reservoirs and 50 million cubic meters in rivers sluiced to prevent floods.

In Fujian, 622 ships returned to harbor following an order by the provincial office for flood and drought relief for people and vessels to return before 10 AM Tuesday.

Passenger ferry services between Xiamen in Fujian and Jinmen in Taiwan will be suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Guangdong, emergency plans were drafted at 4 PM Monday. Li Ronggen, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, ordered all offshore ships back and the evacuation of all residents at risk.

Kaemi was located at latitude 22.3 north and longitude 122.2 east in waters 700 kilometers southeast of Taiwan's Hualian at 8 PM Monday.

It is packing maximum winds of 40 meters per second and barreling northwestward at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour.

Meteorologists estimate that Kaemi will make landfall in southern or central Taiwan at about 2 AM Tuesday and hit Fujian on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Kaemi will unleash heavy rains in Fujian, Guangdong and Zhejiang. Local governments have warned residents of possible floods and landslides.

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2006)