Southern China is bracing for its second typhoon in a week, with shipping and flights already disrupted by heavy rain and strong winds ahead of Chanthu's expected landfall later today, state media said. Chanthu was upgraded from a tropical storm after gathering strength over the South China Sea. It is forecast to hit Yangjiang in Guangdong province and Qionghai on the resort island province of Hainan, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Shipping between Hainan and the mainland has already been suspended and dozens of flights cancelled, it added. More than 26 000 fishing boats are also taking shelter in Hainan ports. At least 701 people have died since the start of the year as a result of torrential rains which have swept large parts of southern and central China, and another 347 are missing, the government said on Wednesday.

The scale of the devastation, with more rain forecast, has raised fear of another mass disaster on the scale of the 1998 Yangtze River floods, when more than 4 000 people died, though the government says it is now much better prepared. Premier Wen Jiabao, in comments published in Chinese newspapers on Thursday, said the situation was serious and called for greater disaster prevention efforts.

"The country is now at a crucial stage in fighting the floods, with water levels on the Yangtze River, Huai River and Tai Lake surpassing safety limits. The situation is very serious as typhoons are coming," Wen said. Typhoon Conson skirted Hainan last week, killing two people, before heading into Vietnam. - Reuters