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.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer began talks with high-ranking Chinese officials in Switzerland yesterday aiming to de-escalate a dispute that threatens to cut off trade between the world’s two biggest economies and damage the global economy. The US delegation has begun meetings in Geneva with a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰), Xinhua News Agency said. Diplomats from both sides also confirmed that the talks have begun, but spoke anonymously and the exact location of the talks was not made public. Prospects for a major breakthrough appear dim, but there is
RSS