China's disaster relief authorities Monday issued a national early disaster warning to gear up for super typhoon Megi, which is expected to batter China's southern coastal areas.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the State Disaster Relief Commission, which agreed to activate the response, issued urgent notices to the civil affairs departments in the regions along the southern coast -- Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian -- to prepare for relief operations.

Possibly the strongest typhoon to hit China this year, Megi, which means "catfish" in Korean, is expected to reach the eastern South China Sea around Tuesday midnight, bringing strong winds and rain to the four regions along the coast.

The notices ordered local civil affairs departments to closely monitor the typhoon, take precautionary measures against possible geological disasters and flooding in cities, and ensure that people in vulnerable areas are evacuated on time.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said Monday that 40 million yuan (US$6.02 million), as well as life rafts, life jackets and flood-fighting equipment, had been allocated to flood-hit Hainan Province to fight super typhoon Megi.

It has also sent a supervision team and three expert groups to Hainan, who will join local experts to examine the safety of reservoirs and dams in the province.

Water Resources Minister Chen Lei on Monday told a meeting on Hainan's flood-fighting work that damaged water conservation projects must be repaired and all reservoirs and dams must be examined to find hidden dangers.

A total of 88,500 people in Hainan have been evacuated to safe places as of Monday, said the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The 13th typhoon of the year, Megi is packing winds of up to 260 km per hour, making it the strongest typhoon to appear in the northwest Pacific since 1990 and the strongest typhoon of the year worldwide, according to China's National Meteorological Center.

(Xinhua News Agency October 19, 2010)