HAIKOU, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Xangsane muscled up on Saturday morning to become the second super typhoon to affect China this year, threatening the southern island province of Hainan.

    The eye of the typhoon was located in the sea about 170 km southeast of the Xisha Islands at 8 a.m. Saturday with a wind velocity of 198 km per hour, according to the Hainan meteorological observatory.

    Xangsane is a Laotian word meaning "elephant." The 16th storm to affect China this year, Xangsane is moving westward and expected to sweep through the maritime area 200 km south of Hainan from Saturday to Sunday before reaching Vietnam on Sunday, according to the observatory.

    The observatory predicted the typhoon would bring strong winds of up to 156 km per hour and heavy rains to Hainan from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, affecting traffic and tourism during the weeklong National Day holiday.

    The seas around the island province, however, have stayed calm, and navigation is normal, according to the Maritime Bureau in Haikou, the provincial capital of Hainan.

    Some vessels have returned to harbor and the provincial observatory is keeping a close watch on the typhoon's movement.

    Xangsane, which formed in the northwest Pacific, ploughed into the Philippines on Wednesday night, killing at least 11 people and leaving dozens missing as it ripped down power lines and cut off electricity to tens of millions of people.

    Super typhoon Saomai, the eighth typhoon to strike China this year and the most powerful in 50 years, killed at least 440 people in China in August. Enditem