East China coastal regions are bracing for strong gales and heavy rains as tropical storm Meari moves northward.

The tropical storm will shave off the eastern coasts of Shandong Peninsula or may make a landfall around the region between Sunday afternoon and evening before shifting to head northeastward to the border areas between China and the Democratic People`s Republic of Korea, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC) Sunday morning.

Off the coast of east Shandong province, the stormy weather sank three ships with 17 people on board. Fifteen people have been rescued while two fishermen were still missing as of midday Sunday, said a spokesman. according to a spokesman with the Shandong Maritime Safety Administration.

Meari, with a wind speed of 90 km per hour near its center, was moving northward at the speed of 40 km per hour Sunday morning, twice as fast as it traveled Saturday afternoon, according to the Shenyang Municipal Meteorological Center.

Gales whipped through the Bohai Strait and over the northern part of the Yellow Sea on Sunday and torrential rains pounded most parts of Liaoning, particularly the cities of Dalian and Dandong, according to the center.

The typhoon alarm for Shanghai has been lifted as Meari`s impact on the city was less severe than expected, said the Shanghai Municipal Meteorological Center.