Tropical storm Francisco, the 14th such storm to hit China this
year, made landfall in south China's Hainan Province shortly after midday on
Monday.
The tropical storm, bringing winds of 72 km per hour, landed at
Changfa Township in Wenchang County at 12:30 PM, according to the
State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.
Details of the damage or any casualties caused by the storm are
not yet known.
The flood control bureau issued a level four warning (with level
one as the strongest) at 10 am on Monday and dispatched a
four-member team to Hainan to guide the province's efforts in
fighting the storm.
The four local governments of Hainan, Guangdong and Fujian
provinces, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region all issued
circulars ordering all fishing boats and ships to return to
land.
Francisco formed on Saturday night over the South China Sea and
intensified into a tropical storm on Sunday morning.
Whirling at a speed of 15 to 20 kilometers per hour
northwestward, Francisco is expected to reach the northern part of
the Beibu Gulf, south of Guangxi, on Monday night.
(Xinhua News Agency September 24 , 2007)
