Typhoon Jangmi, downgraded to strong tropical storm Monday afternoon, is expected to bypass China's coast in the night, but it will still bring strong winds and heavy rains to some areas.

Jangmi, which slammed into Taiwan Sunday afternoon, left two people dead and forced the closure of schools, offices and financial markets before moving to the Chinese mainland early on Monday.

It was thought to land in northern Fujian Province late Monday afternoon or night. Authorities in Fujian and the neighboring Zhejiang Province have evacuated more than 500,000 people and called some 80,000 boats to harbor.

But the typhoon weakened into strong tropical storm and changed its course to the northeast Monday afternoon, and it will not likely make landfall in the mainland, meteorologists said.

Yet it will still bring strong winds of up to 126 km per hour as well as heavy rains in the two provinces and Shanghai in east China.

The Fujian Provincial Observatory predicted rainy and cloudy days in the province in the next two days. While meteorologists in Zhejiang said heavy rains will stop by Tuesday morning, but strong winds will last till Tuesday night.

The Shanghai Municipal Observatory also forecast winds of up to 88 km per hour in the coastal areas from Monday night to Tuesday.

Jangmi came on the heels of Hagupit, the 14th strong typhoon of this year. It landed in the southern Guangdong Province last Wednesday.

Hagupit left China on Thursday and moved into Vietnam, after killing at least 17 people.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2008)