The Central Weather Bureau yesterday issued a sea warning for Typhoon Muifa, saying that the storm could bring showers to northern and northeastern Taiwan.
The typhoon was 340km east of Taipei at 8pm yesterday. It was moving north at 7kph, packing sustained winds of 155kph with gusts of up to 191kph. It had a radius of 150km.
The storm is forecast to slow down today and tomorrow, when it is expected to come closest to Taiwan, before moving away on Wednesday, bureau meteorologist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said.
The bureau warned of high waves off Keelung, as well as the north and east coast, including Green Island (綠島) and Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼). The warning also covered waters around the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) and the outlying Lienchiang County.
Until tomorrow, the periphery of Muifa would bring heavy rain to mountainous areas in northern and northeastern Taiwan, and the northern coastal areas, including Keelung, while there is also a chance of afternoon showers in the east and southeast, the bureau said.
The rain would likely ease by Wednesday, it said.
Photo: CNA
Due to the approaching storm, ferry operators between Green Island and Taitung County’s Fugang Fishery Harbor transported an estimated 5,000 people to the county yesterday morning before suspending services in the afternoon.
The Maritime and Port Bureau said that almost all ferries from Taiwan proper to outlying islands would be canceled today.
Officials said the Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) in Taoyuan is discharging water at a low rate as a precaution against possible flooding due to the typhoon.
It urged people to avoid downstream areas of the reservoir.
As of 10am yesterday, the water level at the reservoir was 244.85m, close to its 245m capacity.
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