Authorities are preparing for Typhoon Fung Wong's landfall on China's southeast coast, and have issued warnings and announced emergency response plans.

The National Meteorological Administration Sunday morning issued an orange-level warning – the second-highest storm warning, indicating a strong tropical storm or typhoon with at least force-10 winds would arrive within 12 hours – and a level-two emergency response plan. Level-one response is the highest alert level. The typhoon is forecast to make landfall on the island of Taiwan this morning.

When an orange-level signal is issued, residents should stay indoors, and harbors should take measures to prevent ships from colliding or running ashore.

The typhoon's eye was about 440 km southeast of the island's Hualien at 8 am yesterday morning, and its encircling winds packed force-13 (137-km-per-hour) gusts. It is expected to move westward at 15-km-per-hour and make landfall between Hualien and Taitung on the island's eastern coast this morning.

Rainstorms caused by the storm intensified in the Taiwan Straits yesterday.

After sweeping over Taiwan, it is forecast to make a second landfall on the Chinese mainland's Fujian and Zhejiang provinces tonight or tomorrow.

Fung Wong, the eighth tropical storm this year, intensified to become a full-scale typhoon late on Saturday.

Xu Xiaofeng, vice-director of the administration, signed the order to launch the level-2 emergency plan at 8:45 am yesterday morning.

The administration ordered State-level meteorological departments and observatories in Zhejiang, Fujian and Shanghai to immediately act on the plan, with personnel working around the clock.

It also required nearby Anhui, Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces to take precautions against possible disasters and to prepare to carry out the level-2 response plan.

Winds ranging from force-8 to force-11, caused by Fung Wong, whipped through Fujian province Sunday morning.

The provincial meteorological observatory forecasted the typhoon would make landfall in the province, bringing strong winds and torrential rain.

The provincial flood control authorities had demanded all vessels return to harbor before 6 pm yesterday.

Rainstorms are expected to continue today in the province, which is situated just west of the Taiwan Straits.

(China Daily July 28, 2008)