South China province braces for Typhoon Vamco

South China's Hainan Province is bracing for Typhoon Vamco, expected to hit the Zhongsha and Xisha Islands head-on in the South China Sea on Friday and Saturday.

The provincial meteorological bureau on Thursday issued a Level-3 alert. The center of Vamco, the 22nd typhoon of the year, was about 640 km southeast of the province's Sansha City at 4 p.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), with winds of up to 126 km per hour near the eye.

The typhoon is forecast to move westward at a speed of around 20 km per hour, passing through the Zhongsha and Xisha Islands before heading for the central and northern coast of Vietnam.

Authorities in Sansha are closely monitoring the movement of Vamco, with emergency rescue teams on standby.

More than 90 people have been evacuated and boats are back in the harbor.

Hainan has a four-tier typhoon warning system, with Level 1 representing the most severe weather. Enditem