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Sinlaku's fury approaching its peak

Taipei residents shovel dirt at a government site to make their own sand bags in preparation for heavy rain expected to accompany Typhoon Sinlaku. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

Strong winds and heavy rain brought by Typhoon Sinlaku should reach their peak tonight, meteorologists at the Central Weather Bureau warned yesterday as the mid-strength typhoon continued to lumber toward Taiwan.

"Although northern Taiwan has already experienced heavy downpours, the wind and rain will continue to get stronger as the typhoon reaches Taiwan [today]," Daniel Wu (吳德榮), deputy director of the weather bureau's forecasting center, said yesterday.

"We expect the rain and wind to peak [tonight]."

Heavy downpours and strong winds brought by Sinlaku, whose name refers to the breadfruit goddess of Micronesia, will continue to strike northern and northeastern parts of the island through Sunday, according to the weather bureau.

A land warning was issued at 5:15am yesterday. Wu said the island's northeastern tip will be the first area to feel Sinlaku's full force and areas to the north of Miaoli should remain on high alert.

"Even though the typhoon's center will not make landfall, torrential rain and strong winds brought by the air surrounding Sinlaku are inevitable," Wu said.

"We expect the rain and wind to peak [tonight]."

Daniel Wu, weather forecaster

The weather forecaster cautioned residents living in mountainous areas in northern and central Taiwan to be on alert for possible mudslides and landslides.

Residents near the Tamsui and Keelung Rivers were also warned to watch for sudden rises in water levels. Residents in low-lying coastal areas were told to beware of possible flooding.

According to the Central Weather Bureau's estimates, Sinlaku will likely bring about 700mm and 600mm of precipitation to mountainous areas in northern and central Taiwan, respectively.

Moving slowly westward at 11kph from Okinawa, Sinlaku was 480km northeast of Taipei as of last night.

The weather bureau estimated that Sinlaku, with a radius of 300km and maximum sustained winds of 145kph, would be 240km northeast of Taipei at around 2pm today.

With the nation on high alert, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday inspected the Cabinet-level disaster command center.

Chen ordered authorities to carefully monitor the operations of pumping stations to prevent flooding. He also told officials to keep a close eye on coastal areas in Taipei City, Taipei County and Keelung City as well as safeguard Taipei's mass rapid transit system, which was closed down as the result of flooding during a typhoon last year.

Schools and workplaces are closed in Taipei City and County, Taoyuan County, Ilan County and Keelung. In Hsinchu, city schools are closed for the day but workplaces only in the afternoon. Work will be as normal in the morning.

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