East China coast braces for strong typhoon

SHANGHAI, July 8 (Reuters) China today urged boats out at sea to return to harbour and prepared for flooding as Typhoon Ewiniar headed towards its eastern coastal province of Zhejiang and the Shanghai area.

Ewiniar, whose name means ''storm god'' in the Chuuk language of Micronesia, was southeast of Zhejiang and moving north-northwest at a speed of about 20 km an hour today morning, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The storm, with maximum winds of 150 km per hour, was expected to near the coastline of Zhejiang later today, China's official Xinhua news agency said.

Shanghai authorities said the city would experience torrential rains tomorrow, though it was possible that most of the storm would remain offshore, allowing the coast to escape the strongest winds.

Storms often cause heavy damage in China, where Typhoon Chanchu killed 23 people along the southern coast in May.

REUTERS SRS PM1637