Weather forecasters said the typhoon would push sea waves in the coastal areas to up to nine meters high when it approaches.

Local authorities have warned the public to pay attention to weather forecasts and be aware of the rainstorms and other typhoon-related disasters.

Morakot, which strengthened into typhoon Wednesday afternoon, is also expected to whip up gales in Shanghai from Saturday to Monday. Meteorological stations in the city have cautioned relevant departments to brace for emergencies.

The eighth tropical storm of the year, Morakot was formed on the heels of Goni, which unleashed downpours in Guangdong destroying 732 houses.

'The two storms could influence each other,' said Wang Zhenming, vice head of the Zhejiang provincial meteorological station.

'As a result, the route of Morakot is not fully predictable,' he said, warning that Morakot was likely to continue growing in strength and become a super typhoon.

China is frequently affected by tropical storms in summer. The most destructive one recently occurred in 2006, when super typhoon Saomai claimed more than 400 lives.