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GUANGZHOU, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Merbok, the second typhoon of the year, has formed and will hit the southern Chinese province of Guangdong Monday, the provincial weather forecast bureau said Sunday.

The typhoon, packing maximum winds of around 65 kilometers per hour, is expected to make landfall on the coast between Huidong County and Shantou City in the late afternoon or the night of June 12, it said.

The bureau forecast that the typhoon would soon weaken after it landed and would not reach regions outside Guangdong.

Heavy rain is expected in most coastal cities to the east of the mouth of the Zhujiang River. The rainfall will last until late Wednesday, according to the forecast.

Huge tides up to six meters high are likely to appear in the Beibu Bay area and the eastern part of the South China Sea as the typhoon travels northwest toward Guangdong from late Sunday, it said.

A storm warning was issued and fishermen have been alerted to steer their boats to bay and take precautions.