Typhoon Haitang landed the southeastern coast of Chinese
mainland Tuesday afternoon, after battering Taiwan Province and
rolling across the Taiwan Straits.
After having lingered 28 hours at the Taiwan Straits, the
torrential storm attacked Huangqi Peninsula of east China's Fujian
Province at 7:10 PM, according to sources with the provincial
flood control and drought relief department.
The entire Fujian Province reported moderate to heavy rain and
high winds Monday night and Tuesday morning. In coastal areas in
the central and northern parts of the province, the wind scale was
measured from eight to 10.
The provincial meteorological bureau has warned of landslides
and mud-rock flows in the juncture areas between Fujian and Zhejiang
and polices have closed certain sections of inter-provincial
express ways.
All flights have been canceled in the cities of Fuzhou and
Quanzhou Monday, though air traffic is still normal in Xiamen. The
ferry service between Xiamen and Quemoy island of Taiwan, however,
has suspended operation since Monday morning.
Heavy rainfall also made the Saijiang River, a branch of
Minjiang River, surpassed the warning water level. Ningde areas of
Fujian Province has suffered rare floods, which forced local
government to evacuate more than 100,000 people.
As to the neighboring Zhejiang Province, it already evacuated
326,000 people and called back 25,739 ships. Wenzhou alone
relocated 152,000 people from risky places and recalled 7,044
fishing boats.
Hit by the strong torrential storm, Wenzhou, a city in Zhejiang,
has suffered mountainous floods, which trapped 800 people.
Vice Premier Hui
Liangyu urged on Tuesday that governments of all the coastal
provinces to kick off their emergency plans against the disastrous
weather.
Hui said the governmental departments should make every effort
to safeguard the lives of the people and must be fully aware of the
possible floods and geological disasters after the landing of
Typhoon Haitang.
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(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2005)