The observatory of east China's Zhejiang Province issued an emergent warning,
urging local people to get fully prepared for the approach of
Typhoon Saomai, which turned into a violent typhoon by
18:00?PM Wednesday.
Some meteorologists from the observatory said that the typhoon
might grow stronger.
As of 8:00 PMWednesday, the center of Saomai, the eighth typhoon
of this year, was located at sea about 543 kilometers southeast of
Wenzhou City in Zhejiang and is moving northwestward at a speed of
25 km to 30 km per hour.
The observatory said Saomai is very possible to land within 24
hours in the areas between Wenling of Zhejiang Province and Changle
in Fujian Province.
The Zhejiang provincial flood control and drought relief
headquarters has already relocated 167,249 people from the places
that are likely to be hit by Saomai.
In Fujian, 266,000 people have been evacuated to safer
places.
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2006)
