Forecasters say Typhoon Muifa will miss the major Chinese city of Shanghai, a reprieve for the city of 23 million people.

The latest reports Saturday indicated that Shanghai would be spared the full force of typhoon Muifa's high winds and torrential rains, though forecasters say the city will likely experience some effects from the storm.

Officials in Shanghai had earlier predicted Muifa might hit the commercial hub with as much force as Typhoon Matsa, which in 2005 killed four people and caused more than $15 million in damage.

Meanwhile, officials in China's eastern Zhejiang province have evacuated more than 206,000 residents in preparation for Muifa, which is expected to cross China over the next three days. More than 100 flights in the region have been canceled, 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.