THE Center of Typhoon Wipha moved toward the Yellow Sea through Jiangsu Province at 7am today, the China Meteorological Administration said.

The typhoon, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm, was centered over the sea 60 kilometers east of Jiangsu's Lianyungang City at 7am, the administration said.

It was moving northeast at 40 kilometers per hour, the administration said.

At least five people were killed by landslides triggered by Wipha in Zhejiang Province and three others were missing, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said last night.

The typhoon collapsed more than 9,600 houses and damaged 42,000 others. The losses in Zhejiang, Fujian, Shanghai and Jiangsu totaled 6.62 billion yuan (US$881 million), the ministry said.

A total of 2.67 million people in these places had been relocated by 6pm yesterday.

However, residents in the coastal city of Wenzhou, which has been hit by numerous typhoons over the years, said effective preparations greatly reduced casualties and losses.

In Zhejiang, 1.79 million people were evacuated before Wipha arrived, which was the largest such move in the history of the province. Not all these were moving from coastal areas-- more than half a million were evacuated just because their houses were not in good condition.

Wipha entered Anhui at 7pm yesterday, after causing 14 hours of havoc in Zhejiang where it made landfall, according to Pan Jinsong, vice director of the Zhejiang Meteorological Station.

It has brought heavy downpours to Jiangsu, with rainfall in some cities reaching more than 150 millimeters.

More than 39,000 people in the province have been relocated from coastal and low-lying areas, and 12,000 vessels have been recalled to harbor. Schools were closed yesterday in Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou and Yancheng.

The typhoon has affected more than 6.5 million people in Fujian and Zhejiang, wrecking thousands of homes and inflicting economic losses of more than 4.8 billion yuan, according to local flood control authority. The figures are expected to rise.

The Zhejiang marine authorities sounded the all clear on Tuesday evening and more than 30,000 vessels are expected to return to sea today.

The power grid in Fuding, Fujian Province, rebuilt after being destroyed by the devastating typhoon Saomai last year, was badly damaged.