Southern China on Friday battened down to await the arrival of Typhoon Conson, gathering strength over the South China Sea, and Vietnam deployed nearly 3,000 troops to areas in the path of the storm.
Swollen rivers and landslides have killed 135 people across China since the start of July and another 41 are missing, state media reported.
With the country on alert for its worst floods in years, the arrival of Conson -- which cut power and killed at least 38 people in the Philippines -- will add to the misery.
Tropical Storm Risk (http:www.tropicalstormrisk.com) said Conson had strengthened as it neared the Chinese island of Hainan. It was to due to pass just south of Hainan in the early hours of Saturday, before heading to northern Vietnam.
An orange alert for wave surges up to six metres was issued for the South China Sea, with slightly smaller surges off Hainan and export powerhouse Guangdong province.
In Hainan, an island province off southeastern China popular with tourists, 24,000 fishing boats have been called back to port.
Ferries from Hainan to the mainland have been suspended, stranding hundreds of travellers, and some flights have been cancelled, Xinhua added.
The Hainan government is on guard against floods and landslides, and has asked people living in low-lying areas to move to safety, it said on its website (www.hainan.gov.cn).
The island is an important producer of rubber, sugar, bananas and natural gas, which could all be affected by the storm.
Ten fishing boats seeking shelter in one of the Paracel Islands, occupied by China but claimed by Vietnam, had sunk, the official Xinhua news agency said.
The typhoon will then head towards Vietnam's northern provinces, where the government has evacuated more than 200,000 people and drafted in 2,800 soldiers in anticipation to help with relief efforts.
