FUZHOU, July 18 (Xinhua) -- As typhoon "Molave" approaches southeast China on Saturday, local people are taking measures to prepare for it.

The sky is shrouded by dark clouds in Fuzhou city, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, July 17, 2009. Molave, the sixth tropical storm this year, is moving towards the coast with a predicted landfall between central Guangdong Province in south China and south Fujian Province. The Fujian provincial observatory has issued the blue warning signal of typhoon on Friday.(Xinhua/Zheng Shuai) Photo Gallery>>>

    More than 600 fishing boats were in the Xiangzhi National Fish Harbor of Fujian province, where soldiers were helping anchor the boats. They also persuaded some 3,000 fishermen to evacuate.

    In the cities of Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, Putian and Fuzhou where the typhoon was likely to affect, 1,680 people in vessels returned to seek shelters on land.

    Some 3.89 million mobile phone messages were sent by 5 p.m. in the province, warning people to be alert of the typhoon.

    Molave, the 6th tropical storm this year which became typhoon on Saturday morning, was located at some 290 kilometers away from Shenzhen of Guangdong, according to the Fujian provincial weather bureau.

    It unleashed gale and torrential rain in Fujian at about 5:15 p.m..

The sky is shrouded by dark clouds in Fuzhou city, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, July 17, 2009. Molave, the sixth tropical storm this year, is moving towards the coast with a predicted landfall between central Guangdong Province in south China and south Fujian Province. The Fujian provincial observatory has issued the blue warning signal of typhoon on Friday.(Xinhua/Zheng Shuai) Photo Gallery>>>

    Two flights from Quanzhou of Fujian to Kinmen of Taiwan were cancelled. It was not known when the flights could resume.

    In the Guangdong province, more than 20 million mobile phone messages were sent out by 2 p.m..

    The provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters issued warning to order ships return to harbor and people in dangerous areas evacuate.

    "Molave" was likely to make landfall between Huilai and Taishan in east and central part of Guangdong at Saturday night or on Sunday morning, said the provincial weather bureau.

Typhoon Molave to hit SE China by Sunday

    BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Molave would make landfall at Guangdong Province in south China sometime from Saturday night to Sunday morning, said the National Meteorological Center (NMC) Saturday.

    Molave became a typhoon early Saturday and was strengthening, the NMC forecast said. Full story

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