Super Typhoon Maria weakened to a medium-strength typhoon after its approach yesterday and all typhoon-related warnings are to be lifted today, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
Maria’s outer edge made landfall yesterday at 5pm, with its center 310km off the coast of Yilan County, the bureau said, adding that contact with land had weakened it.
The storm would no longer pose any danger by about noon and the sea alert would be lifted by evening, the bureau said.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City and County, Yilan County, Miaoli County and Lienchiang County have canceled work and classes for today.
Yilan County canceled work and classes after 3pm yesterday, with offices and schools in Taipei closing from 4pm due to the expectation of strong winds and heavy rain between yesterday evening and this morning.
Civil Aeronautics Administration statistics showed that 118 domestic flights were canceled by 6pm yesterday, while 181 cross-strait and international flights were canceled and 24 were delayed.
Seventy-two shipping services across the Taiwan Strait were canceled throughout the day yesterday, the Maritime and Ports Bureau said, adding that 144 shipping services are to be canceled today.
The high-speed rail system operated as scheduled yesterday and is to continue normal operations today, but the Taiwan Railways Administration adjusted schedules for express trains departing after 4pm on the west and east coast lines.
Taipei Rapid Transit Corp increased train services yesterday as some Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations were inundated with homebound passengers.
The Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line stopped in-town check-in services at 3pm.
The express train services also closed early, with the last train departing from the Taipei Railway Station at 7pm.
The announcement to cancel work and classes yesterday was made at 10am, as Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) arrived at the city’s grade-one disaster emergency operation center at 9am to host an administrative meeting and monitor disaster prevention efforts.
During the meeting, Taipei Department of Personnel Director Cherng Been-ching (程本清) said the decision to close offices and schools after 4pm was made in coordination with New Taipei City and Keelung.
The wind speed expected between 1pm and 6pm yesterday did not exceed the standard for suspending work and school, but considering that national examinations were to end at about 3pm and winds were forecast to be strong at rush hour, the municipalities decided to suspend school and work at 4pm, Cherng said.
Garbage collection services in Taipei were suspended last night in consideration of the safety of residents and sanitary workers, Taipei Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Liou Ming-lone (劉銘龍) said, adding that the decision whether garbage collection is to be provided today would be announced at 11am.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old