South China's Hainan Province is bracing for tropical storm Mekkhala, which is expected to land in the island on Tuesday or brush its southern coast.

Mekkhala, the 16th tropical storm this year, was developed from a tropical low pressure at 8 a.m. Monday on the South China Sea, according to the Hainan Provincial Observatory.

Its eye was about 240 km southeast of Sanya, a city in the southern tip of the Hainan island, at 2 p.m., packing winds of up to 72 km per hour. It was gaining momentum and moving northwestward at a speed of 10 km per hour.

It is expected to land in Sanya or nearby areas at daytime on Tuesday, meteorologists said. But it will also likely bypass the coast.

Local meteorologist authorities on Monday issued warnings of the tropical storm, which is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rains in the next two days.

Also Monday, Typhoon Jangmi, the 15th this year, weakened into strong tropical storm and changed its course to the northeast in the afternoon. It is expected to bypass east China's coast in the night, but it will still bring strong winds and heavy rains to some areas.

A villager collects garbage against wind at Xiasha Seashore Holiday Resort in Changle, southeast China's Fujian Province Sept. 28, 2008. [Xinhua]

Authorities in Fujian Province and the neighboring Zhejiang province have evacuated more than 500,000 people and called some 80,000 boats to harbor.

Jangmi came on the heels of Hagupit, the 14th strong typhoon of this year. It landed in the southern Guangdong Province last Wednesday.

Hagupit left China on Thursday and moved into Vietnam, after killing at least 17 people.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2008)