Although strong winds and heavy rain brought by Typhoon Dujuan will subside today, residents in eastern and northern parts of the country should be alert to landslides and mudflows in mountainous areas, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
Rain from the typhoon fell on much of Taiwan yesterday, prompting the government to establish disaster relief centers.
PHOTO: CHIANG CHIH-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The Penghu County government announced that all fishing and shuttle boats would be confined to ports until the sea warning is lifted. All schools in the county will be closed today. Schools and offices will also be closed in Taitung, Pingtung and parts of Hualien counties.
The Hengchun Peninsula in southern Pingtung County was hit by severe winds and torrential rains. More than 1,000 fishermen from China living on 23 boats were allowed to take shelter from the wind at the county's Tungkang Port.
Airports in Taitung County were closed.
Forecasters said that Dujuan would pass southern Taiwan and head for southern China today but that wind and rain could still make mountainous areas dangerous.
Rainfall in Ilan and Hsinchu counties exceeded 100mm yesterday.
Water Resources Agency Director Chen Shen-hsien (
Chen said that the Ministry of Economic Affairs would meet on Thursday to discuss whether to impose stricter water rationing in the Taipei and Taoyuan areas.
"We predict that stricter water restrictions might be imposed after Sept. 11," Chen said.
TransAsia Airways yesterday announced it was canceling all domestic flights scheduled to take off before 10am this morning. The company also urged its customers planning to travel between Kaohsiung and Macau to call their travel agencies before leaving for the airport.
China Airlines yesterday also announced it was canceling all its flights leaving and arriving in Kaohsiung this morning.
Scientists yesterday took advantage of the typhoon to try out a new government-sponsored scientific research project using dropsondes.
A aircraft took off from a military base in Taichung and released the dropsonde, which was attached to a parachute. The dropsonde gathered information on air pressure, temperature, humidity and wind speed and transmitted the data to the aircraft via its global positioning system receivers.
According to Wu Chun-Chieh (
Scientists say the observations will significantly improve the accuracy of typhoon forecasts, further enhancing the effectiveness of disaster-prevention measures.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
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