The storm, "Jelawat," was expected to hit between Dianbai County in Guangdong and Wenchang in Hainan late last night, sources with the Guangdong Provincial Meteorological Bureau said.

As of yesterday morning, the eye of the storm was located nearly 300 kilometers southeast of the city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong Province, with strong northeasterly winds of about 20 kilometers per hour.

Haikou Maritime Safety Bureau issued a notice yesterday before the storm's arrival to call back all ships operating on the Qiongzhou Strait.

Meanwhile, trains from Haikou to Guangzhou running across the Qiongzhou Strait were also suspended, according to Haikou Railway Station.

It was not said when ships and trains would resume operations.

Considering the storm's route and severity, the disaster relief office in Guangdong urged relevant departments to implement effective measures to prevent potential disasters and loss of life. The storm has already brought heavy rainfall, which helped ease the week-long heat wave in Guangdong.

Temperatures in Guangdong hit their highest level so far this year, rising above 36 C in most cities.

Influenced by the storm, provincial capital Guangzhou witnessed temperatures between 26-31 C yesterday, and heavy rainfall as well.

Guangdong, together with other coastal provinces in South China, is a frequent victim of tropical storms.

Early in May, Typhoon Chanchu, the first tropical storm of this year, hit the province forcing more than 180,000 people to be evacuated from coastal areas to safety.

(China Daily June 29, 2006)