Tropical storm Kujira was expected to dissipate into a tropical depression near southeast Tai-wan, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
The storm was centered about 180km southeast of Oluanpi, the southernmost tip of the island, at 7pm yesterday and was moving at 7kph in a northwesterly direction, threatening to move up the island's east coast.
Kujira was packing surface winds of up to 90kph, down from 100kph on Tuesday, the bureau said, adding that Kujira may be downgraded to a tropical depression as early as last night.
Tropical depressions have sus-tained surface winds of 38kph or less.
Weather officials warned that Kujira would bring in heavy rains to eastern Taiwan yesterday or early today despite its continued loss of intensity. The bureau asked the public to stay alert against possible heavy rains.
Some flights at airports on Orchid Island and Green Island were still not operating yesterday, officials said. The airports shut down completely on Tuesday.
The typhoon, which was downgraded to a tropical storm Tuesday, was unseasonably early. There has not been a typhoon to hit Taiwan in April in 25 years.
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