国内英语新闻:Typhoon Fanapi forecast to hit Taiwan on weekend

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Fanapi is likely to land on the east coast of Taiwan on Sunday, said China's National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center (NMEFC) in Beijing Friday.

The center of the year' s 11th typhoon was about 700 km southeast from Hualien, in Taiwan, said a statement from the center.

It was moving northwest towards Hualien and increasing in strength, the statement noted.

The administration has issued a warning regarding huge waves which might strike off the Hualien coast, it said.

On Sunday, the southern East China Sea might also produce waves of 4 to 6 meters high and waves in the Taiwan Strait might rise to 3 to 4 meters.

Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang provinces along the mainland's southeast coast would also be affected by the typhoon, the statement said.

The statement warned all fishing boats in the region to take necessary precautions.

The fishing season began in the East China Sea in mid-September and a large number of vessels are in the area.

Additionally, Typhoon Fanapi could continue moving west after landing on Taiwan and strike Fujian and Guangdong, the statement said.

Also on Friday, the Ministry of Civil Affairs launched an early-warning for disaster relief responses aimed at the typhoon's possible damages to the southeastern coastal areas.

The ministry and the National Committee for Disaster Reduction instructed local governments to carefully keep track of the typhoon's movement and the changes in weather, and strengthen prevention measures for geological disasters and flooding in urban areas.

Local governments were also urged to evacuate residents in high-risk areas while providing for their basic living necessities.