(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-10-01 17:13

BEIJING -- China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters issued a warning at 10 am on Monday as tropical storm Lekima headed the southern island province of Hainan.

The flood control authorities of Hainan have called back 20,606 fishing vessels and required them to stay anchored in ports until after the storm.

Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunan provinces also activated their emergency response programs after the headquarters issued three emergency notices in a row and dispatched special work team to mobilize and guide the upcoming combat.

Chen Lei, minister of Water Resources and deputy commander-in-chief of the headquarters, said that priorities should go to the evacuation of the residents and fish boats susceptible to the storm.

Reservoirs should be put in good use to ease the flood pressure while precautions must be taken against flash floods and mountainous disasters such as landslide, he said, urging flood-control departments to take utmost efforts to ensure the lives of the people and to minimize the losses.

Lekima, named after a type of fruit in Vietnam, is the 15th tropical storm this year and is expected to land in the south of the island or pass by on Wednesday.

Formed at 11 am on Sunday over the South China Sea, the tropical storm was located at 14.9 degrees north latitude and 112.8 degrees east longitude at 8:00 am on Monday, about 520 km southeast of Sanya, according to the Hainan Provincial Meteorological Observatory.

Lekima was packing winds of about 90 kilometers per hour at its eye and was heading northwest at a speed of 10 to 15 km per hour, and was gaining momentum.