Typhoon Xangsane, the 16th typhoon to affect China this year, looks set to bring high winds and heavy rains to the southern Hainan Province in the next four days, meteorologists said Thursday.

 

The meteorological station of the island province said Thursday the typhoon was moving northwestward at 20 to 25 km per hour and its outer rim had affected parts of the South China Sea.

 

The typhoon was expected to pass through the sea area south of Hainan from Sept. 30 to October 1 before landing in Vietnam.

 

The typhoon was bringing winds blowing up to 147 kilometers per hour.

 

The station predicted the typhoon would bring strong winds and heavy rains to Hainan from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, affecting traffic and tourism in early days of the week-long National Day holiday.

 

It also warned visitors to Hainan to monitor weather forecasts during the period.

 

Xangsane, Laotian for "elephant", formed in the northwest Pacific, ploughed into the Philippines on Wednesday night, killing at least 11 people and leaving dozens missing as it ripped down power lines and cut off electricity to tens of millions of people.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 29, 2006)