China's central meteorological observatory issued a warning against typhoon Neoguri on Thursday morning, forecasting strong rain and winds in the southern Hainan Province.

The latest forecast at 6 AM showed the center of Neoguri was 480 kilometers southeast of Sanya City, in southern Hainan, packing winds of up to 126 kilometers per hour.

The observatory said the center of the typhoon would move northwestward at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour and may hit the southern coast of Hainan on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, or skim over the offshore areas.

The observatory urged ships and boats to return to shore and local residents at the coastal areas to take precautions against the typhoon.

Neoguri, the first tropical storm hit China this year, was formed in the South China Sea on Tuesday. It strengthened into a typhoon on Wednesday afternoon.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2008)