Typhoon likely to hit tomorrow

Sea and land alerts for Typhoon Talim are expected be issued today, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.

At 8pm yesterday, Talim’s center was 1,360km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) in southern Taiwan and it was moving northwest at 29kph, the bureau said.

Based on its speed and direction, the outer arm of the storm is forecast to reach Taiwan by tomorrow afternoon, the bureau said, adding that the entire nation is expected to be affected by Talim on Thursday.

The storm has a higher chance of making landfall in the northeast, with rainfall in the north and northeast estimated at between 700mm and 1,000mm in mountainous areas, the bureau said.

Mountainous areas in central and southern Taiwan could see rainfall of between 400mm and 800mm, the bureau said, adding that rainfall in the plains are expected to be about half of that of mountainous areas.

The bureau said that Talim has an almost complete structure and is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall to the nation, adding that people need to be prepared.

Meanwhile, the bureau said that a new tropical depression is forming east of the Philippines, which would be named Doksuri if it is upgraded to a tropical storm after entering the South China Sea.

The tropical depression is about 1,000km southeast of Oluanpi, the bureau said.

Talim and the tropical depression are about 1,200km apart, the bureau said.

Services to and from Green Island (綠島) and Orchid Island (蘭嶼, Lanyu) are to be suspended from tomorrow until Thursday, the EZ Boat Web site said.

Operators will decide whether to resume services on Friday based on weather conditions, it added.

Additional reporting by CNA