Strong gale brought by tropical storm Kestana began to hit China's southernmost island province of Hainan today. The provincial meteorological station monitored the storm at 16.1 degrees north and 113.3 degrees east, and was 470 kilometres away from Hainan this morning. The station said the storm had strong winds of 108 kilometres an hour and is gathering strength. Its northern section may pass through the southern island tomorrow. The authorities issued a yellow alert on Kestana, under which all outdoor activities should be canceled and coastal residents should be moved to safer places.<br/>Kestana, the 16th storm to hit China this year, turned into a strong tropical storm yesterday morning after causing severe casualties in the Philippines.