Waves from approaching Typhoon Morakot hit a dike in Cangnan County, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 8, 2009. [Wang Dingchang/Xinhua]

Eastern China is bracing as typhoon Morakot approaches after slamming into Taiwan Friday night.

Fujian Province's meteorological station said Morakot is likely to land on the coastal Chinese province Saturday evening or night.

Although the typhoon is expected to weaken to a tropical storm before it arrives in the Chinese mainland, it was packing winds of 137 kilometers an hour at 7 a.m. Saturday and churning northwestwards at a speed of 15 to 20 kilometers an hour.

It has already unleashed torrential rain in Fujian where, at five sites, water levels have been recorded at 0.02 to 0.66 meters above warning levels.

In Luoyuan county of Fuzhou city, Fujian's capital, people stayed at home during the weekend and roads were almost empty.

Waves from approaching Typhoon Morakot hit a dike in Cangnan County, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 8, 2009. [Wang Dingchang/Xinhua]

Fewer sellers appeared in the county's vegetable market.

"The fields were flooded," said Li Sailian, a vegetable seller.

"Strong winds broke the ropes tying down the horsebeans, and the crown daisies (chrysanthemum greens) were destroyed," she said.

Li brought all her available stock to the market, fearing the storm would destroy it completely.

In downtown Fuzhou, where several big trees have already been toppled by gale-force winds, people were rushing to supermarkets for necessities before the typhoon arrived.

In Putian City, also in Fujian, all scenic sites and ports have been closed and school classes suspended. A team of 26,222 people has been formed and equipped with flood-control materials, said Huang Dongzhou, director of the city's flood control office.

All of the city's 7,168 fishing ships have returned to harbor, Huang said.

The province's Ningde city is strengthening its defences to bear the brunt of Morakot, local meteorological authorities said.