Haitang, the worst typhoon to approach Taiwan in five years, began affecting the nation's weather yesterday afternoon, with strong winds and heavy rain reported across the country.
More rain and high winds are expected today and tomorrow before the storm heads toward southern China.
Officials at the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) yesterday issued nationwide heavy rain warnings and urged people to avoid mountainous areas, rivers and the seaside for the next two days.
PHOTO: CHEN TSE-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
Yesterday afternoon, the eastern counties of Hualien, Ilan and Taitung reported the strongest wind and heaviest rain. But from Taipei to Hengchuen Peninsula in the south, many people had trouble standing upright outdoors amid strong gusts.
With winds of up to 234kph, Haitang was expected to pound the east coast between Ilan and Hualien Counties especially hard.
Forecasters said yesterday that Haitang was moving at a speed of 17kph and that it would slow down further after making landfall.
By Tuesday, it may be moving as slowly as 6kph as it leaves Taiwan headed for southern China.
"Due to Haitang's slow movement, devastating and heavy rains are expected to be seen in mountain areas around the whole island," said George Lu (
The bureau predicts that Haitang might bring cumulative rainfall exceeding 1,300mm in mountains in northern, central, and southern parts of Taiwan.
Forecasters said that for residents in central Taiwan, who have been suffering from devastating mudflows and landslides for years, that amount of rainfall could be catastrophic.
Since Haitang's route is similar to 1996's devastating Typhoon Herb, which claimed 51 lives, governments at all levels have gone to high alert and have set up disaster relief centers.
Yesterday morning, the Council of Agriculture (COA) issued mudflow and landslide warnings, listing 1,420 rivers in danger of flooding. The council's warnings affect about 26,000 residents in 159 townships in 19 counties. Council officials said that a Web site showing the danger of floods and mudflows, fema.swcb.gov.tw, offers emergency information about evacuations.
In Taipei, all water gates were closed yesterday afternoon as comprehensive flood prevention measures were carried out.
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
As of press time last night, several northern and eastern counties had announced that schools will be closed today and that employees are not obligated to come to work.
Taipei City, Taipei County, Ilan County, Hsinchu County, Keelung and Hualien were among those who had announced that schools and workplaces will be closed today.
Water Resources Agency Director-General Chen Shen-hsien (
"The completion of the Yuanshanzih flood diversion tunnel in Keelung makes it possible to function automatically [rather than manually]," Chen said.
The Taiwan Water Supply Corporation yesterday urged residents to store tap water in advance because heavy rains will increase the turbidity of river water.
In the past, water restrictions were carried out after flooding in northern Taiwan.
RESPONSE: The transit sends a message that China’s alignment with other countries would not deter the West from defending freedom of navigation, an academic said Canadian frigate the Ville de Quebec and Australian guided-missile destroyer the Brisbane transited the Taiwan Strait yesterday morning, the first time the two nations have conducted a joint freedom of navigation operation. The Canadian and Australian militaries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of National Defense declined to confirm the passage, saying only that Taiwan’s armed forces had deployed surveillance and reconnaissance assets, along with warships and combat aircraft, to safeguard security across the Strait. The two vessels were observed transiting northward along the eastern side of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, with Japan being their most likely destination,
‘NOT ALONE’: A Taiwan Strait war would disrupt global trade routes, and could spark a worldwide crisis, so a powerful US presence is needed as a deterrence, a US senator said US Senator Deb Fischer on Thursday urged her colleagues in the US Congress to deepen Washington’s cooperation with Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific partners to contain the global security threat from China. Fischer and other lawmakers recently returned from an official trip to the Indo-Pacific region, where they toured US military bases in Hawaii and Guam, and visited leaders, including President William Lai (賴清德). The trip underscored the reality that the world is undergoing turmoil, and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region is crucial to the security interests of the US and its partners, she said. Her visit to Taiwan demonstrated ways the
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS