Officials in China's eastern Zhejiang province have evacuated more than 206,000 residents, as the area braces for a powerful typhoon.

Forecasters say Typhoon Muifa, with winds up to 162 kilometers per hour, is expected to make landfall late Saturday or early Sunday near Shanghai.

Authorities in that major commercial hub say the storm could be as powerful as Typhoon Matsa, which killed four people and caused more than $15 million in damage in 2005.

More than 100 flights in the region have been canceled as Muifa approaches, and more than 4,000 boats have been called back to port in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.

Authorities have also warned that high-speed rail service could be halted or delayed. And emergency officials are readying relief supplies and preparing for evacuations.

Typhoon Muifa lashed the Japanese island of Okinawa Friday with heavy rains and high winds.