More than 100,000 people have been evacuated as Lekima, the 15th
tropical storm this year, is moving closer to south China's island
province of Hainan, local authorities said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, sluice gates at 17 reservoirs in the province have
been opened to divert possible flood water, a spokesman of the
Hainan Provincial Headquarters of Flood, Typhoon and Drought
Control said.
More than 20,000 fishing boats have been recalled to harbor, the
spokesman said.
In addition, the headquarters has dispatched working teams to
six cities and counties to direct preparatory work for combating
Lekima, which was forecast to land in the south of the island or
pass by on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, he said.
Formed at 11?AM on Sunday over the South China Sea, the
tropical storm, named after a fruit in Vietnam, was located at 17.2
degrees north latitude and 111.6 degrees east longitude at
11:00?AM on Tuesday, about 250 km southeast of Sanya, the
southernmost city of Hainan, the Hainan Provincial Meteorological
Observatory said.
Lekima, upgraded to severe tropical storm Monday morning, is
packing winds of about 108 kilometers per hour at its eye and
heading towards northwest at a speed of 10 to 15 km per hour, and
is gaining momentum, the observatory said.
Chen Lei, deputy head of the State Flood Control and Drought
Relief Headquarters, has ordered local authorities to closely
monitor the development of Lekima and make timely forecasts.
He also urged local authorities to take precautions against
possible floods or other disasters to ensure the safety of people
and minimize losses.
The headquarters have issued urgent notice to authorities in
Hainan, Guangdong and Yunnan provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to remind
them of guarding against the tropical storm.
Lekima has killed at least eight people in northern Philippines,
triggering landslides, floods and big waves.
(Xinhua News Agency October 2, 2007)