Meranti, the 10th typhoon to hit China this year, made landfall at Shishi City in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian at 3:30 a.m. Friday packing winds of up to 35 meters per second at its center, according to provincial flood control authorities.

The photo taken on Sept. 10, 2010 shows trees torn down by the typhoon Meranti in downtown Shishi, southeast China's Fujian Province. Meranti, the 10th typhoon that hit China this year, made landfall at Fujian on Friday, according to provincial flood control authorities. [Xinhua]

A total of 145,300 people in Fujian were evacuated to avoid rain- and wind-triggered accidents.

About 33,200 fishing boats returned to port before 8:00 p.m. Thursday to take refuge from the typhoon.

Meranti will bring up to 100 mm of rainfall to Fujian's Quanzhou, Putian, Fuzhou and Ningde cities Friday, according to meteorological authorities' forecast.

The typhoon has brought heavy rains and strong winds to neighboring Zhejiang Province, too. It is expected to cross into Zhejiang Province Friday afternoon.

Meranti will move northwestward at a speed of 20 km per hour and gradually weaken, authorities forecast.

Meranti is also forecast to bring rains to Anhui Province from Saturday and threaten more than 5 million Mu (about 333,333 hectare) of crops.