A killer typhoon picked up speed yesterday as it spun closer to
south China, forcing Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou to raise the
alarm. Typhoon Chanchu is the strongest on record to blow over the
South China Sea this month.
The eye of Typhoon Chanchu (meaning "pearl" in Cantonese) is
expected to pass just east of Hong Kong today before it slams into
Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong Observatory
said.
Chanchu was about 440 kilometers south of Shanwei in Guangdong
at 8 PM yesterday, moving at 20-23 kilometers per hour (kph) and
packing winds of 162 kph near the storm's center.
It roared towards south China after wreaking havoc in the
Philippines last weekend, killing at least 37 people and leaving
thousands homeless.
The observatory has also warned people to stay away from the
shoreline as Chanchu approaches because of the threat of
swells.
The Guangzhou Meteorological Station forecast that the typhoon
might land in the coastal regions between Shenzhen and Raoping
County this afternoon or tomorrow morning.
But Chanchu could also change direction and head towards Fujian Province or the Taiwan Straits, said
Huang Zhong, the chief weatherman with the Guangzhou station.
He said the typhoon was expected to bring rainstorms to most
parts of Guangdong starting last night, adding the stormy weather
would last until tomorrow.
Wang Yongxin, chief forecaster of Guangdong Marine Observatory,
said Shantou in the eastern part of the province could be hardest
hit.
Rescue ships and helicopters of the South China Sea Rescue
Bureau were standing by yesterday.
Fujian and Hainan provinces are also bracing themselves
for the impending typhoon. Hainan authorities have ordered a halt
to sea and rail transport across the Qiongzhou Strait between the
island and Guangdong.
In Shenzhen, local authorities issued landslide warnings and
were ready to evacuate people if necessary. Advertising billboards
in the city were either being reinforced or removed.
Once signals of a strong typhoon or strong storm are sent,
schools are to suspend classes immediately, according to education
officials.
The city will open all temporary shelters while the typhoon
rages, and the government has advised people to stay indoors, close
all windows and remove flowerpots from balconies.
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2006)
