Tropical Storm Jelawat

THE second tropical storm of the year is coming ashore from the east sea area off Hainan Province later today, which is expected to collide with Hainan tonight and then Guangdong province tomorrow morning, bringing heavy showers driven by high winds, Xinhua news agency reported. Hainan Meteorological Bureau issued a typhoon warning as the tropical storm, named Jelawat, continues to roll towards land at a speed of 15 to 20 nautical miles per hour. It is expected to first hit Wenchang, a northern city, this afternoon or tonight. Winds over the Qiongzhou Strait, a link between the island and Guangdong Province, may reach Force 9 levels (34 to 47 nautical miles an hour). As a precaution, over 19,082 ships from the seaside have been called back from shipping activities and have been asked to remain docked until the storm is downgraded, said Lin Mingzhong, vice director of the local flood control office. The maritime safety administration of Haikou, capital city of the island province, has suspended all ferries and trains transport on the strait as of this morning. Jelawat is the second tropical storm to hit the country this year, following Typhoon Chanchu, which battered the southern coastal regions of China, leaving 11 dead. Click Here for more info