China braces for Typhoon Chan-hom
China has made preparations for Typhoon Chan-hom as it heads for the country's southeastern coast. It is expected to cause severe damage with high winds and heavy rain.
Waves of warning
Typhoon Chan-hom is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon (local time) with wind gusts of up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) per hour. It pounded the coast with heavy waves to herald its arrival.
Getting out of harm's way
Chinese authorities have evacuated almost a million people from the country's southeastern coast ahead of Typhoon Chan-hom's arrival. Flights and other transport services have also been suspended.
Watching the spectacle
The sight of waves battering the coast has attracted curious spectators. But out at sea, the might of mother nature is even more evident, with swells of up to 10 meters (yards) high, according to the US government's Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Checking the moorings
Almost 30,000 ships have been ordered back to port, Chinese officials say. Fishers have also returned to land and will be hoping their vessels survive the onslaught of winds and rain.
Wide swathes affected
Typhoon Chan-hom is expected to sweep over large parts of China on the southeastern coast. Zhejiang will not be the only province hit: Fujian and Jiangsu will likely come in for a buffeting as well.
Pushed to safety
Chan-hom has already caused casualties in other parts of Asia, killing five people in the Philippines and injuring 20 others in Japan earlier this week. Chinese authorities are working to prevent any deaths or injuries in their country.
The worst in years
China's national weather service says the typhoon could be the worst to hit Zhejiang province in any July since 1949. It has been given the highest red alert by authorities, though now downgraded from "super" to "strong."