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Nation braces for Krosa's fury

A film photographer from a local TV station is lucky to be able to walk away after having been caught by a huge wave when he climbed the wave breaker in Hualien to get a good shot. The Central Weather Bureau issued a land warning for Super Typhoon Krosa yesterday, and Hualien had already begun to feel its onslaught. PHOTO: LIU HSIN-DE, TAIPEI TIMES

The Central Weather Bureau issued a land warning for Super Typhoon Krosa early yesterday morning as it gradually approached the east coast of Taiwan.

As of 8:30pm yesterday, the center of Krosa was located 400km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), with a radius of 300km. It was moving northwest at a speed of 14kph.

The maximum wind speed near the center was estimated at 184kph, with gusts reaching up to 227kph.

As the storm approaches the east coast, the bureau cautioned residents in Ilan, Hualien, Taitung, Green Island (綠島), Lanyu (蘭嶼), Keelung, Taipei, Hsinchu, Miaoli and Hengchun (恆春) to brace for strong winds and heavy rains.

Residents in central and southern Taiwan should be on alert as well, it added.

Bureau official Tsai Fu-dien (蔡甫甸) said that as of 5:30pm yesterday, rainfall in Taipingshan (太平山) in Ilan County had topped 240mm.

More rain is expected in mountainous areas of northern and northeastern Taiwan over the weekend, he said.

"Krosa has a very solid structure. But the structure might be damaged once it comes close to the land."

Tsai Fu-dien, Central Weather Bureau official

Tsai added that Krosa's circumfluence could reach the east coast in the early hours this morning. In northern Taiwan, the rain and the wind is likely to get stronger and heavier some time before noon today.

The southern region is expected to experience heavy rainfall this evening.

The bureau estimated that the northern region would accumulate about 800mm to 1,000mm of rain. Rain in the northeaste could reach 800mm.

The typhoon's eye will make landfall on the northeast coast tonight, with the storm forecast to be strongest between tonight and the early hours of Sunday, it said.

"Krosa has a very solid structure," he said. "But the structure might be damaged once it comes close to the land."

Tsai said that Krosa had moved slower than most typhoons. The bureau said it was was heading north.

How fast Krosa moves away from Taiwan depends on the intensity of the frontal system in the north, it added.

The bureau also urged ships operating off the northern, eastern and southeastern coasts, the Bashi Channel and the Taiwan Strait to be on alert.

At press time, Taipei City, Taipei County, Keelung City and Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Ilan, Taitung and Hualien counties had announced that today would be "typhoon day," with no classes or work at public offices.

The Ministry of National Defense activated emergency response operations to deal with Typhoon Krosa yesterday.

A military spokesman said that the ministry had ordered all command, combat and offshore units to set up their own typhoon response centers to prepare for possible rescue and relief operations.

Several organizers were forced to cancel or postpone cultural events scheduled for today and tomorrow.

The Migration Music Festival finished earlier than planned yesterday and the plug was pulled on today's performances.

All Yingge Ceramic Festival activities, which were scheduled to begin today, have been moved to Tuesday.

Additional reporting by Steve Price and CNA

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