The typhoon was expected to be weaker than Rananim that wrought havoc in Zhejiang province earlier this month, but disaster relief officials said no chances were being taken.

"By 10 am (0200 GMT) 218,000 people have been evacuated and around 10,000 boats have been ordered to return to port," the Fujian provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said in a statement to AFP.

While Fujian is expected to bear the brunt of the storm, neighbouring Zhejiang has also moved large numbers of people to safety, evacuating 249,000 and recalling 31,500 fishing boats, the Xinhua news agency said.

Meteorologists said Aere may combine with another nearby storm, Typhoon Chaba that has just curved past the Mariana Islands and Guam in the north Pacific, although it was too early to tell.

"Although Aere has slowed down, its intensity remains. It might be the second strongest typhoon after Rananim," Liu Zhengkun from the Central Meteorological Observatory was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

Rananim was the strongest typhoon to hit eastern China in 50 years, destroying 42,400 homes and wiping out large tracts of farmland.

An official at the Fujian Meteorological Bureau told AFP the storm was forecast to land between Lianjiang city and Jinjiang city Wednesday evening.

Torrential rains, gale-force winds and landslides were expected in most parts of the province.

Aere lashed Taiwan Wednesday with powerful winds and torrential rain, triggering landslides and widespread disruption to transport. At least seven people were feared dead.

As coastal areas battened down, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs issued emergency typhoon warnings to Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces and sent teams of workers to supervise rescue efforts.

By 11 am Wednesday (0300 GMT) the eye of the storm was packing force 12 winds some 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of Fujian and churning towards the mainland at 10 to 15 kilometres an hour, the Fujian Meteorological Bureau said.

East China is prone to typhoons and has been pummeled by at least 15 over the past 50 years. The deadliest on record was in 1997 when 236 people were killed.

TERRA.WIRE