Society

China to fight landing of 1st tropical storm this year

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-10 20:58

BEIJING - China's flood control office on Friday launched actions to cope with the first tropical storm set to land on the country this year.

The tropical storm Sarika will hit landfall early Saturday, said the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SFDH).

It has dispatched two task forces to Guangdong and Fujian provinces to help fight the storm.

The tropical storm, the third one this year, is moving at a speed about 20 to 25 km per hour to the northwest, said the SFDH.

The storm began at 2:00 am Friday at a sea area about 500 km from coast, the SFDH said.

The SFDH asked concerned departments to remind the public of the impending storm.

The tropical storm was located about 490 km south of Shantou city in south Guangdong povince at 8:00 am Friday, the SFDH said.

The storm is predicted to land somewhere between the city of Shanwei in Guangdong and Zhangpu cunty in nearby Fujian province on Saturday.