More than 100,000 people have been evacuated as Lekima, the 15th tropical storm this year, is moving closer to south China's island province of Hainan, local authorities said on Tuesday.

 

Meanwhile, sluice gates at 17 reservoirs in the province have been opened to divert possible flood water, a spokesman of the Hainan Provincial Headquarters of Flood, Typhoon and Drought Control said.

 

More than 20,000 fishing boats have been recalled to harbor, the spokesman said.

 

In addition, the headquarters has dispatched working teams to six cities and counties to direct preparatory work for combating Lekima, which was forecast to land in the south of the island or pass by on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, he said.

 

Formed at 11 AM on Sunday over the South China Sea, the tropical storm, named after a fruit in Vietnam, was located at 17.2 degrees north latitude and 111.6 degrees east longitude at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, about 250 km southeast of Sanya, the southernmost city of Hainan, the Hainan Provincial Meteorological Observatory said.

 

Lekima, upgraded to severe tropical storm Monday morning, is packing winds of about 108 kilometers per hour at its eye and heading towards northwest at a speed of 10 to 15 km per hour, and is gaining momentum, the observatory said.

 

Chen Lei, deputy head of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, has ordered local authorities to closely monitor the development of Lekima and make timely forecasts.

 

He also urged local authorities to take precautions against possible floods or other disasters to ensure the safety of people and minimize losses.

 

The headquarters have issued urgent notice to authorities in Hainan, Guangdong and Yunnan provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to remind them of guarding against the tropical storm.

 

Lekima has killed at least eight people in northern Philippines, triggering landslides, floods and big waves.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 2, 2007)