Vietnam plans to evacuate more than half a million people and has ordered boats to stay ashore, while the southern Chinese city of Sanya closed businesses and public transport on Sunday as the two countries braced for an intensifying Typhoon Kajiki.

The storm could make landfall along the southern coast of China's southern island province of Hainan from Sunday afternoon to evening, or skirt the southern coastline before heading toward Vietnam, China's National Meteorological Center said.

The storm, packing winds of up to 149 kph (93 mph), was about 500 km (300 miles) off Vietnam's central coast at 0600 GMT, moving west at 20 kph, according to Vietnam's national weather forecast agency.

It is likely to strengthen with wind speeds as high as 170 kph (110 mph), China's weather forecaster s

See Full Page