Powerful Typhoon Talim has been battering Taiwan since yesterday afternoon, leaving schools and offices closed in several counties. The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) yesterday predicted that abundant rainfall would trigger potentially devastating disasters, such as floods and mudflows, in not only the northern parts of the nation but also the south.
All cities and counties announced last night that there will be no classes nor work today in their respective areas, except Kinmen County, which said schools and offices remain open today.
Beginning yesterday afternoon, huge waves, heavy rains and powerful winds were observed in eastern Taiwan. In Hsinchu County, several roads connecting townships in mountainous areas, including remote Wufeng (五峰) Township, were destroyed due to sudden landslides triggered by heavy rains.
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUI, TAIPEI TIMES
In several areas, schools and offices were ordered to close earlier yesterday.
The CWB expected that Talim's center would pass over Taiwan from the eastern coastline between Ilan and Hualien counties. Forecasters said that Talim, with a radius of 250km, has been formed by solid-structure clouds.
According to Hsieh Ming-chang (謝明昌), a division chief at the CWB's meteorology division, the weather in Taiwan will be significantly affected by the storm system.
"We predict that violent gusts [of wind] could be experienced in the counties of Ilan and Hualien," Hsieh said.
Forecasters said that people in Taiwan and its offshore islands, including Penghu, Green Island, Lanyu and Matsu, had to be on the alert for powerful winds.
Moving
Forecasters said Talim was steadily moving west-northwestward at a speed of 21kph and at 11am today its center is expected to be situated 250km west-northwest of Hsinchu. The bureau predicts that the weather this afternoon might become a bit milder but nationwide heavy rains in the following days remain a threat.
It is expected that rainfall in the mountainous areas in southern counties such as Kaohsiung and Pingtung, will exceed 1,000mm. In the north, accumulative rainfall exceeding 700mm is expected.
Yesterday, the Council of Agriculture (COA) issued mudflow and landslide warnings, listing 610 rivers in danger of flooding. The warning affect residents in 39 townships in eight counties. Officials said that rivers in Ilan, Hualien and Nantou counties could become highly dangerous, urging residents to stay away from them. In addition, COA officials said, a Web site showing the danger of floods and mudflows, www.fema.swcb.gov.tw, offers emergency information about possible evacuations.
Meanwhile, Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday cautioned Cabinet members that "previous mistakes are not allowed to be repeated during this typhoon."
"I ask my fellow Cabinet members to remain at their posts and make sure everything is under control," he said.
`Stay alert'
"Everybody should stay alert to avoid repeating the same mistakes," he said, referring to the water shortage in Taoyuan County after Typhoon Matsa devastated Taiwan on Aug. 5.
According to the Cabinet, the water shortage occurred because the Shihmen Reservoir's water was seriously polluted by huge amounts of mud, caused by land erosion in the reservoir's catchment area. As a result, the water becomes muddy after downpours and since the water became too muddy after the devastating typhoon, water treatment plants were unable to provide a constant water supply.
Hsieh yesterday visited both the CWB and the Cabinet's Drought Disaster Relief Center to make sure everything is under control. According to Cabinet Spokesman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), the premier is scheduled to meet President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) today to give him the latest information on the typhoon and the situation nationwide.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS