HAIKOU, Sept. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Impending typhoon Damrey expected to be the strongest cyclone hitting south China in 10 years has begun making waves before its landing.

    Sea water engulfed two coastal villages in southernmost China's island province of Hainan. Some 2,000 villagers have been relocated to safe places. Their homes were about one meter below sea by the press time.

    Meanwhile, three meter-high tide flooded another village in Xuwen County of south China's Guangdong Province, where 13,653 villagers have been safely evacuated to highland.

    Sixty-seven flights were canceled at the Milan International Airport in Hainan stranding some 5,000 passengers on Sunday, said Wang Zhen, CEO of the airport, adding that airlines were trying to find hotels for the passengers.

    Another 125 flights are expected to be cancelled Monday including five international flights, said Wang, who was baffled by the company's foreseeable losses. He said the coming typhoon might give the most severe strike to the airport since it was put into use in 1999.

    The Hainan Provincial Meteorological Office forecast that the center of the typhoon, the 18th of the year, will make a powerful landing on the areas in Hainan's eastern coastal cities of Lingshui, Wanning and Wenchang on Monday morning becoming the strongest cyclone hitting the province since 1960. Enditem