国内英语新闻:Tropical storm approaches southern China island amid nationwide rain disasters

HAIKOU, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- China is bracing for a strong tropical storm named "Mindelle", which is expected to skim the southernmost island province of Hainan between Monday midnight and Tuesday morning.

At 8 a.m. Monday, a tropical low pressure system across the South China Sea intensified into the fifth tropical storm of the year, after being upgraded to a strong tropical storm eight hours later.

The storm, by the name of "Mindellu", which means dandelion in Korean, is expected to approach the Beibu Gulf off the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region after skipping Hainan, the Hainan provincial meteorological bureau said.Local authorities in Hainan have halted railway, shipping services and tourism programs and called fishing boats to return to ports as they braced for the storm.

Both cargo and passenger shipping services were halted at 5 p.m., according to the ban issued by the provincial maritime affairs bureau.

Also, passenger and cargo train services through Qiongzhou strait between the mainland and Hainan were halted at 5 p.m.

Meanwhile, more than 26,000 fishing boats have returned to their ports.

Tourism activities, such as diving and water-motorbike-driving in Sanya, the famous tourist city in southern Hannan, have also been halted as residents prepared for the storm.

The Hainan provincial government said they would spare no efforts in protecting the safety of fishermen and tourists, as well as strengthening the monitoring of reservoirs.