Perilous Times
Tropical storm approaches southern China island amid nationwide rain
disasters
2010-08-23 12:13:48
Thick cloud is seen over Qionghai City in south China's Hainan
Province, Aug. 23, 2010. A low pressure system is approaching Hainan by
15 to 20 kilometers per hour and is expected to grow to a tropical
storm. (Xinhua/Meng Zhongde)
HAIKOU, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- The fifth tropical storm of the year is
expected to arrive at China's southernmost island province Hainan
Monday night or Tuesday, amid nationwide rain-triggered disasters, the
local weather bureau reported.
A tropical low pressure system across the South China Sea intensified
into a tropical storm at 8 a.m. Monday. The storm, by name of
"Mindulle," will move northwest at 15 to 20 kilometers per hour in the
coming 24 hours, the Hainan Provincial Meteorological Bureau reported.
Mindulle, which means dandelion in Korean, is expected either to make
landfall or to sweep by the island province between midnight and
Tuesday morning, packing high winds and torrential rain, it said.
The provincial maritime bureau issued a sailing ban at 6:30 a.m. on at
least one third of passenger and cargo ships that were unable to
withstand winds up to 60 km per hour.
More than 20,000 fishing boats have been called back, according to a
statement issued by the bureau at 10 a.m.
Mindulle will also bring about torrential rain and gales of up to 90 km
per hour to the coastal areas of Guangdong Province, said Lin Liangxun,
chief weatherman with the Guangdong Provincial Meteorological Station.
Lin said most parts of the province would expect moderate to heavy rain
in the coming three days.
Heavy rain and subsequent geological disasters have taken heavy tolls
across China this summer.
A rain-triggered mudslide hit Zhouqu in northwest China's Gansu
Province on Aug. 8, leaving at least 1,435 dead and 330 still missing.
Last week's mudslides in a remote mountain town in southwest China's
Yunnan Province have killed at least 29 people and left 63 others
missing.
Rescuers were still racing Monday to build a new steel bridge over a
swollen river, hoping to speed up rescue work and transport of supplies
to the mudslide-ravaged town. The old bridge was destroyed by floods
last week, cutting off the remote town.
Rain-triggered mudslides also killed at least 18 people in Wenchuan and
Qingchuan counties in southwest China's Sichuan -- which is still
recovering from the massive earthquake of 2008.
Liang Mingchao, 22, said the recent disasters were "not too scary
compared with the earthquake." "We'll rebuilt our homes and move back,"
said Liang, a Tibetan whose name, however, is Mandarin Chinese.
Liang and his parents, who lived in Yingxiu town, the epicenter of the
2008 earthquake, miraculously survived both disasters though their home
has been destroyed twice.
In Neijiang City of Sichuan, three days of torrential rain has resulted
in four deaths, two injured and left one person missing as of Sunday,
the local government said Monday.
Heavy rain also wreaked havoc in northeast China's Liaoning Province as
a major river bordering China and the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea has swelled, forcing the evacuation of some 253,500 residents.