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 and counties announced that today would be a regular work day.
Photo: I-Hwa Cheng, AFP
As of 5:40pm yesterday, the typhoon was 490km southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the agency said.
It was moving northwest at 13kph, with the storm’s radius expanding to 250km.
Extremely heavy rainfall is expected in east Taiwan, as well as mountainous areas in the Greater Taipei area and Hengchun Peninsula today due to the combined influences of the northeast monsoon and typhoon, CWA specialist Lin Ping-yu (林秉煜) said.
By 5pm yesterday, ocean waves around the country had reached 3m — and 6m in the southeast coast, Lin said.
Taiwan would be mostly affected by the northeast monsoon today, he said, adding that winds are expected to become stronger in the south and east tomorrow as the typhoon moves closer to the nation’s southwest coast.
“The typhoon is still a little far from Taiwan. We are not certain at this point where it would make landfall and how it would affect [the nation]. We are closely monitoring its development,” he said.
Meanwhile, the northeast wind is expected to rise again on Thursday when the typhoon is forecast to weaken and move away from Taiwan, he added.
Heavy rainfall is expected in central and southern Taiwan, as well as Hualien and Taitung counties tomorrow, with the rain in the east coast significantly easing compared with today, he said.
By Thursday, rain across the nation is expected to significantly ease, with isolated showers forecast in northern Taiwan due to the northeast wind, Lin said.
The Hualien County Government yesterday announced closures of schools and offices in Guangfu Township (光復). It also issued a red alert for Guangfu, Wanrong (萬榮), Fonglin (鳳林) and other townships close to a barrier lake at the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) for potential damage, with more than 8,000 residents ordered to evacuate.
Guangfu was heavily damaged in September after heavy rainfall brought by Typhoon Ragasa broke a barrier lake along the river, unleashing millions of tonnes of water and mud that swept into the township, destroying infrastructure, killing 19 people and leaving five people missing..
Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said that eight water pumps have been deployed along the creek to help drain the floodwater.
The government would coordinate the deployment of military personnel and other resources to assist Hualien during the typhoon, she said.
The government will continue to closely monitor the barrier lake, and a team of specialists is working on long-term solutions to the problem, she said.
The Coast Guard Administration said those entering coastal areas designated by local governments as restricted zones would be fined.
The typhoon also disrupted operation of the Alishan Railway, with the service from Chiayi to Alishan (阿里山) canceled today, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said, adding that the two-way railway services would be canceled tomorrow and on Thursday.
Railway services would resume once the safety of the route is confirmed, it said.
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