Tropical storm Pabuk swept through China's eastern provinces
late on Wednesday, unleashing heavy rainfall in east China's
coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian.
The storm is moving westwards at a speed of 25 kilometers per
hour toward southern Guangdong Province, according to the Fujian
Meteorological Observatory.
The provincial flood control headquarters said that another
storm, Wutip, would hit the provinces soon. More than 266,000
people working out at sea have been recalled to land.
Wutip means butterfly. The storm coalesced in the Pacific Ocean
to the east of the Philippines at 8:00 AM on Wednesday. The storm's
eye is packing winds of 18 meters per second. It is moving
northwest at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour.
The observatory said that the storm is expected to land in
central-south Taiwan on Thursday and hit central Fujian on Thursday
night.
The Zhejiang meteorological observatory said that Wutip might
follow Pabuk's path. It will whip up waves as high as six
meters.
The observatory said Wutip's path is more unpredictable than
Pabuk's, and that it will unleash torrential rain of up to 300
millimeters in some areas.
The provincial flood control headquarters said that they have
mobilized troops and police to increase patrol and stack sandbags
around ponds and reservoirs.
(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2007)
