Typhoon Kalmaegi on Friday weakened into a tropical storm after making landfall near Ilan in northern Taiwan late on Thursday and continued to move northwestward at a speed of 15 to 20 km per hour.

The eye of the storm is expected to strike the coast between Lianjiang, in Fujian Province, and Wenling, Zhejiang Province, late on Friday, weather observatories in both provinces warned.

Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province, saw showers early on Friday and more heavy rains are forecast for the cities of Ningde, Fuzhou, Putian, Quanzhou, Xiamen and Zhangzhou late on Friday and Saturday, Fujian provincial meteorological observatory predicted.

The tropical storm was also bringing strong winds as it advanced into the hinterland of China.

Force 7 to 12 winds were predicted to blow off Zhejiang, bringing heavy storms to coastal cities of Zhejiang late on Friday, warned the Zhejiang provincial meteorological authority.

Kalmaegi, the seventh tropical storm this year, is also expected to affect Shanghai on Friday and Saturday.

Flood control, offshore fishery and marine authorities in Fujian, Zhejiang and Shanghai have sent out warnings to prepare for the storm. All vessels have been advised to return to port.

(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2008)