China evacuates 200,000 as typhoon hits east coast

A pedestrian crossing a road holds an umbrella against wind brought by Typhoon Yagi, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China August 13, 2018. Zhejiang Daily via REUTERS

BEIJING (Reuters) - China evacuated more than 200,000 people as a typhoon made landfall on its eastern coast late on Sunday, state media said.

Typhoon Yagi hit Zhejiang province shortly before midnight, bringing winds of up to 102 kph (63 mph), the official Xinhua news agency said, citing the provincial flood control headquarters.

A total of 204,949 people in 10 cities, including Taizhou, Zhoushan, and Wenzhou, have been evacuated and almost 21,000 fishing boats called back to port, it said.

A man rides a vehicle as dark clouds gather above the city of Shaoxing before Typhoon Yagi is expected to make landfall in Zhejiang province, China August 12, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer

The storm will also bring heavy rain and will gradually weaken as it moves slowly inland to the northwest, Xinhua said.

Summer is China's typhoon season, although casualties have been minimized in recent years by early government planning and evacuations from potential danger zones.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Paul Tait)