Typhoon Muifa weakened Sunday as it moved in a northerly direction along China's eastern coastline, but still forced the evacuation of more than 610,000 residents, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Packing winds of up to 178 kilometres per hour, Muifa was expected to make landfall Monday morning in Shandong province, the report said, citing the National Meteorological Centre. Residents in Shanghai and the provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang and Shandong were evacuated, the report said, adding that 62,700 vessels were ordered to dock. Some 18 flights either arriving or departing from Shandong's Qingdao airport were cancelled Sunday due to Muifa. Muifa, originally a powerful typhoon, swirled into the East China Sea on Friday morning.
