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Powerful typhoon threatens Taiwan

Local fishing boats take shelter to avoid Super Typhoon Sinlaku in Nanfangao harbor in Ilan County yesterday. Sinlaku churned toward Taiwan, threatening to bring heavy rain and strong winds and disrupt celebrations for the Mid-Autumn Festival. PHOTO: SAM YEH, AFP

Super Typhoon Sinlaku churned toward Taiwan yesterday, threatening to bring torrential downpours and violent winds and disrupt celebrations for the weekend’s Mid-Autumn Festival.

“Sinlaku is very powerful and it is expected to impact most parts of Taiwan this weekend,” a Central Weather Bureau forecaster said.

The bureau warned local residents, particularly those in coastal and mountainous regions, to take precautions against flooding and mudslides.

The northern and eastern parts of the country are forecast to experience “heavy” to “extremely heavy” rain, or rainfall exceeding 130mm and 200mm within 24 hours, the bureau said.

Mountainous areas in central and southern Taiwan are likewise expected to see heavy downpours, the bureau said.

Because the typhoon does not have a strong guiding stream, it will continue to affect local weather until Monday, it said.

Judging from the path of the storm, the severest weather conditions are likely to occur tonight and tomorrow morning, said Tsai Fu-dien (蔡甫甸), a bureau section chief.

PHOTO: CENTRAL WEATHER BUREAU

The bureau warned that Sinlaku’s slow movement would lengthen its onslaught.

Event organizers have been forced to cancel or postpone outdoor celebrations in Taipei and several other cities for the weekend’s Mid-Autumn Festival as Sinlaku gained momentum.

For safety reasons, the Taiwan Railway Administration canceled four trains operating between Taipei and Hualien last night. All express trains before 12pm today have also been canceled.

Daily Air (德安航空) canceled two flights operating between Taitung and Lanyu (蘭嶼).

At 8:30pm yesterday, Sinlaku was 210km east of Hualien, packing winds of up to 184kph, forecasters said.

The government has declared today a typhoon day except for Taitung, Penghu, Lienchiang and Kinmen counties.

The Taipei City Government yesterday opened roadside parking on red and yellow lines around the water gates, which were closed last night as the typhoon approached.

Roadside parking on regular roads, bus stops, expressways and bridges is still prohibited, the city government said.

Taipei City’s Transportation Department called on residents to check with the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp for possible schedule changes during the typhoon.

The department said it asked bus companies to increase the number of buses during the typhoon for the convenience of passengers.

For information on the MRT schedule, call the transit company’s 24-hour hotline at 02-2181-2345 or Taipei City’s 24-hour citizen hotline at 1999.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MO YAN-CHIH AND CNA

Also See: EDITORIAL: The same old calm before the storm
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