Typhoon Haitang churns towards Chinese mainland

Typhoon Haitang is churning toward the Chinese mainland after battering Taiwan. A number of Local airports and expressways in east China provinces have been closed.

Nineteen flights flying from Hong Kong to Taiwan were canceled and another 25 flights were delayed, according to reports from Hong Kong, and another 24 flights from Taiwan to Hong Kong were also canceled.

The provincial meteorological station of Fujian, which faces Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait, forecast that typhoon Haitang would land between Quanzhou and Ningde cities of the province early Tuesday morning or noon.

Typhoon Haitang, named after a Chinese flower, has speedily moved toward the central and north part of Fujian. Changle airportin Fuzhou, the provincial capital, has stopped operation, and all flights were cancelled or transferred to Xiamen and Shanghai.

Jinjiang Airport in Quanzhou, another city in Fujian, has also cancelled all flights.

Due to the coming typhoon, eight traffic accidents occurred in the Ningde-Luoyuan section of an expressway in Fujian. Two thirds of the billboards along the Fuzhou-Quanzhou expressway were destroyed.

To reduce the damage caused by typhoon Haitang to the minimum, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has urged the local governments to be well prepared.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters issueda circular, calling on local governments in Fujian to move people to safe places and to take effective measures to safeguard the people's life and property.

Zhejiang, another coastal province in east China, has evacuated326,000 people and arranged 25,739 ships to take shelter in harbors.

China's economic hub Shanghai is also threatened by the approaching Haitang, which has caused river water to raise near the warning level.

Shanghai flood control and drought relief headquarters has urged citizens to reduce outdoor activities and take precaution measures.

Source: Xinhua