The meteorological station of Fujian Province in southeast China said
Thursday that super typhoon Sepat might land in Fujian on Saturday
evening or Sunday morning, bringing strong winds and torrential
rains.
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The station said in its latest forecast that winds caused by
Sepat along the coast would gain strength on Friday evening and
speeds might exceed 117 km per hour on Saturday and Sunday, while
rain might reach coastal areas on Saturday.
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Sepat was moving northwestward at 15 km per hour toward Taiwan and
was expected to hit land early Saturday, before crossing the Taiwan
Strait to Fujian, according to the Fujian meteorological
station.
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Seas could be up to seven meters in the Taiwan Strait on Friday
evening and up to nine meters on Saturday and Sunday, according to
the Fujian meteorological station.
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The Fujian provincial headquarters of flood control has ordered all
the people who might be affected to relocate to safety before Sepat
lands, and vessels should return to ports and maritime workers to
land before 8:00 AM on Saturday.
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Schools, highways, shops and entertainment venues in coastal cities
should be closed when the typhoon hits, the headquarters
ordered.
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Sepat, which formed early on Monday east of Luzon island in the
Philippines, became a super typhoon at around 8:00 PM on
Wednesday.
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The eye of the typhoon was 730 kilometers southeast of Taiwan,
packing winds of up to 234 km per hour, at 2:00 PM on Thursday,
according to the Fujian meteorological station.
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Sepat, named after a Malaysian freshwater fish, is the ninth
tropical storm to hit the region.
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The meteorological bureau of east China's Zhejiang Province has issued a severe weather
warning as Sepat approaches eastern China.
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Residents in the coastal areas of the province have been told to
prepare for heavy rain and strong winds on Saturday.
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The maritime authorities in Zhejiang on Thursday inspected 1,587
ships in harbors and sent more than 10,000 warning messages to all
vessels. More than 300 people were standby for possible marine
accidents.
South China's Guangdong Province is also closely monitoring
the progress of Sepat and recalling vessels to harbor. Local
authorities were told to discharge water in reservoirs to
accommodate incoming rain.
(Xinhua News Agency August 17, 2007)
