Storm in China weakens

TYPHOON Matsa has weakened to a tropical storm as it has plowed north up China’s coast, but eastern provinces are still bracing for torrential rains and possible floods, domestic media said yesterday.

On Saturday, two people were killed and two were missing in Zhejiang province when mudslides slammed into their mountainside homes, the semi-official China News Service said.

More than one million people had to flee their homes in Zhejiang after the typhoon made landfall at dawn on Saturday.

It moved north and further inland by Sunday morning, lashing Anhui province with downpours but not the kind of fierce wind and rain that caused 6.5 billion yuan (€470m) in losses in Zhejiang alone.