The approach of a powerful typhoon off the east coast of the island has forced government officials to order businesses to send workers home, financial markets to shut down and brought much of the nation's public transportation sector to a standstill.
While the financial impact of the typhoon is yet unknown, Bilis is expected to bring with it a variety of potential disasters from floods to landslides.
Many of the nation's markets and convenience stores have been flooded with shoppers seeking to stock up on instant meals, bottled water, flashlights and batteries. Also in high demand yesterday were tape and lumber as stores and homeowners sought to protect glass doors and windows from powerful winds.
PHOTO: AP
According to the Central Bank of China and stock exchange officials, the Taiwan Stock Exchange, TAISDAQ exchange, the foreign exchange market and Taiwan Futures Exchange, which only trade in the morning, will all be closed today.
Also affected are the nation's air and rail systems which came to a standstill as domestic air travel was cancelled late yesterday afternoon and all trains stopped running at 11pm last night and services would be cancelled throughout today. Domestic air officials were allowing each of the major airlines to decide whether to continue flights or make scheduling adjustments.
At CKS International Airport in Taoyuan County, many international departures were moved forward yesterday and arrivals from the West coast of the US were delayed to avoid the storm. The airport remained open last night, however, and was scheduled to remain open today, officials said as of press time last night.
According to an airport spokesman, between 30 and 40 passenger and cargo flights were cancelled yesterday. Further cancellations today would depend upon the weather conditions, the spokesperson said.
Bucking that trend, Taipei city buses are scheduled to continue running, with buses expected to offer a special service whereby they will run in normal traffic lanes and stop to pick up anyone who flags them down at any point along their route.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense has teamed up with state-run power company Taipower (
Hoping to avoid a repeat of the massive power outage in July last year when a landslide downed a transmission tower and blacked out most of northern Taiwan, Taipower has reinforced towers deemed at risk from such natural disasters, according to a company spokesman.
Fearing shortages and high prices in the produce market, the Council of Agriculture has requested farmers freeze up to 7,000 tons of vegetables.
In related news, government officials chose to relax normally strict rules and allow around 1,000 Chinese fishermen to take shelter in Taiwanese ports.
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