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.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2005)