Preparations made in 2 provinces as storm heads in

Northeast China is bracing for torrential rain and strong winds as typhoon Bolaven wreaked havoc in the Republic of Korea on Tuesday afternoon.

Although weakened, Bolaven is still powerful enough to cause landslides and flooding, uproot trees and damage utility lines, with up to 280 mm of rain expected in parts of Liaoning province, according to the National Meteorological Center.

The center released an alert on Tuesday warning that heavy rains are going to hit most parts of Northeast China before Wednesday.

The latest satellite image from the China Meteorological Administration showed that Bolaven was traveling at a speed of 40 km per hour, bringing rainstorms, gales and rough seas.

Authorities in Dandong and Dalian in Liaoning announced suspension of classes and administrative works at all levels.

As of Tuesday, about 1,800 tourists had been evacuated to safe areas in Dandong in anticipation of the potential flooding, and more than 6,000 soldiers were on standby.

Almost all construction work has been stopped, and large animals are locked inside cages in zoos in Dalian and the provincial capital, Shenyang. Local authorities have said roads will be closed if water reaches 25 cm.

The Shenyang education bureau said on Monday that if rainstorms and thunder hit the area, schools will suspend all classes.

In coastal cities such as Dalian, Dandong and Shandong's Weihai, all ships and boats are required to return to harbor for safety.

Because of the bad weather, the first sea burial in Weihai this year, scheduled on Tuesday, was delayed, according to the local authorities.

Authorities of Yantai and Weihai in Shandong released a notice on Monday asking the locals to reinforce or remove outside equipment that may be damaged in the strong winds.

A team of typhoon experts was sent to Liaoning to assist local people with flood control, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

Although the area is fully prepared, the possibility of flooding is still high in the Yalu River, because many rivers have passed alarming water levels during this flood season, according to the Water Resources Bureau of Liaoning.

China is facing "severe challenges" in controlling flooding, Chen Lei, minister of water resources, said at a national conference on flood control on Monday.

Contact the writers at wangqian@chinadaily.com.cn