Extreme Conditions

New typhoon hits southeast China

(10 August 2006)

The most powerful typhoon in decades hit the coast of southeast China on Thursday, forcing 1.3 million people to evacuate their homes.

Typhoon Saomai brought torrential rain to Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, with winds of up to 200kph (124 mph).

The new storm is the eighth to hit China this year and comes only days after Typhoon Prapiroon, which killed 80 people.

Wenzhou airport closed and some flights from Taiwan were cancelled, although the island missed the worst of the storm.