China's southern provinces of Hainan and Guangdong issued warnings on Sunday about possible floods and mud-rock flows as typhoon Krovanh, the 12th to hit China this year, moves closer to the provinces.

By 7:30 pm, the eye of typhoon Krovanh was located some 320 kilometers south of Zhanjiang City, Guangdong, heading west toward the island province of Hainan and west Guangdong at 22 to 25 kilometers per hour, local meteorological observatories said.

The typhoon, with force 12 winds near the epicenter, will sweep Hainan island and western Guangdong Province from late Sunday night to Monday noon, according to Guangzhou City Observatory.

Typhoon Krovanh, which is named after a Cambodian tree, will generate winds of gale force seven to 10 in northern parts of Hainan and the western parts of Guangdong, according to the forecast.

The typhoon has already brought rainstorms to parts of Hainan and Guangdong.

All the sea routes on the Qiongzhou Straight linking Hainan and Guangdong have been suspended while the two provinces have strengthened the security measures for reservoirs and major river dykes, local officials said.
 

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2003)