The southeastern province of Fujian, a major victim of Typhoon Bilis, is on
high alert as Typhoon Kaemi, the fifth of the year, approaches.
The provincial observatory has warned of rainstorms and strong
winds of up to 72 km per hour across the province at 6:30 a.m. on
Monday.
As of 5 AM on Monday, the eye of Kaemi was located about 460 km
southeast of Hualien, Taiwan Province, and was moving in a
northwesterly direction at around 20 km per hour, packing winds of
144 km per hour, according to the observatory.
The typhoon is estimated to hit northern Fujian or southern Zhejiang on Tuesday night or Wednesday
morning, said the observatory in a latest report.
The provincial office for flood and drought relief has ordered
all vessels to return to harbor by 8 PM on Monday and local
governments have been advised to pay special attention to the
safety of people living in the temporary shelters of coal mines and
mountainous areas.
The office also asked local governments to boost patrols along
reservoirs and dams in preparation for flooding.
At least 43 people have died and more than 3 million others have
been affected in Fujian since July 14 when Typhoon Bilis
struck.
(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2006)