China warns: Megi will be year's strongest typhoon

(October 18, 2010)


China's National Meteorological Centre said in a statement that super typhoon Megi is expected to be the strongest typhoon of the year in China. Megi, which means "catfish" in Korean, is expected to enter the South China Sea on Monday and is possible to cause wild winds and huge waves in the South China Sea over the next three days.

The forecast centre issued an orange alert, its second-highest level warning, telling ships to shelter in ports and urging local authorities to prepare for emergencies.

The island province Hainan braces itself for typhoon Megi, after torrential rains affect nearly 1.3 million people. Authorities evacuated 140,000 people from a coastal province ahead of the typhoon.