A local resident watches huge waves at a beach in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 9, 2006. Typhoon Ewiniar was to the southeast of Zhejiang. Local government released alarm and urged boats out at sea to return to harbors. (Xinhua Photo)

    HANGZHOU, July 8 (Xinhua) -- More than 7,600 people have been evacuated from their homes near the city of Ningbo in coastal province of Zhejiang as Typhoon Ewiniar remains hundreds of kilometers offshore.

    By 6 p.m. Saturday, 7,634 people have been moved to school rooms or temporary shelters in Ningbo, a coastal city of Zhejiang, said the provincial flood control headquarters Saturday.

    Evacuations are also under way in other coastal cities of the province, including Taizhou, Zhoushan and Wenzhou, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters. Xinhua reporters were unable to obtain the numbers of people affected by these evacuations.

    More than 8,000 ships have returned to harbors in Ningbo and coastal Zhoushan City, said the headquarters.

    The eye of Typhoon Ewiniar was about 780 km southeast of Dinghai, an isle of the Zhoushan Archipelago in the East China Sea, at 2 p.m. Saturday, said the Zhejiang Provincial Meteorological Observatory.

    The storm is tracking in a north-northwest direction at 10 to 15 km per hour, packing winds of about 162 km an hour, and is expected to approach the offshore areas of Zhejiang Saturday night, according to the provincial observatory.

    The observatory says there is little chance the typhoon will come ashore at Zhejiang but it is likely to bring strong winds ranging from 80 to 180 kilometers an hour Saturday night and Sunday.

    The observatory predicts the typhoon will move north, staying offshore of Zhoushan Sunday night or Monday morning, and into the Yellow Sea, according to the Zhoushan observatory.

    The Municipal Meteorological Observatory of Shanghai on Saturday forecasts Ewiniar will begin to affect the metropolis on Sunday.

    The municipal flood control headquarters has issued an urgent circular asking relevant organizations to be well prepared for the advancing typhoon.

    Typhoon Ewiniar formed on July 1 in the Pacific, east of the Philippines.

    In May and June, Typhoon Chanchu and Typhoon Jelawat hit south China provinces, causing numerous deaths and huge property losses. Enditem