Print

Mail

wiki links

Taiwan prepares for the arrival of Typhoon Toraji

Many government offices and businesses will be closed today as Taiwan braces for Typhoon Toraji.

The typhoon spun directly toward the country yesterday, forcing fishing boats to take cover and canceling flights and train services to cities along the nation's eastern coast.

The Central Weather Bureau has issued both sea and land warnings for the typhoon.

Forecasters predicted the storm's center was moving northwest at about 17kph and would hit Hualien and Ilan between 2am and 4am this morning. It could seriously affect Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu with strong winds and heavy rain before heading to southern China.

"Toraji could be the typhoon that affects Taiwan the most seriously this year," said Chen Lai-fa (陳來發), a forecaster at the Central Weather Bureau.

"It will bring the strongest winds and heaviest downpours" Taiwan has seen this year, Chen said.

Also, the typhoon might bring 900mm of rain to Nantou and Chiayi in southern and central Taiwan, while Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli might receive 400mm to 600mm.

Late afternoon yesterday, Toraji was centered about 110km south southeast of Hualien, packing winds of up to 140kph, said the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The storm had gusts of up to 185kph, the center said.

Domestic flights to outlying Orchid Island, Green Island, Taitung and Hualien as well as all railway services were canceled yesterday.

More than 300 fishing boats and 4,520 sailors had taken shelter in Keelung, Taipei, Ilan, Hukien, Taitung and Pingtung counties by late yesterday.

Two mountain climbing groups from the National Chiao Tung University couldn't be reached late last night, and officials were still trying to contact them.

Toraji, named after a popular flower in North Korea, follows five other tropical storms that have hit Taiwan this year.

The central government and local governments around Taiwan have opened disaster relief centers to cope with possible typhoon damage. Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) called on residents to be on alert for any possible damage.

Eight tropical storms have developed into typhoons since May. Except for two that didn't affect Taiwan, the Central Weather Bur-eau issued sea and land warnings for the other five typhoons. The last typhoon, Yutu, prompted only a sea warning.
This story has been viewed 3567 times.