A land warning for Super Typhoon Talim, which has developed into a severe storm, was issued by the Central Weather Bureau last night. Forecasters said that Talim, the 13th typhoon reported in the Pacific this year, is expected to bring heavy rains to the whole country, and reminded people in mountainous areas to take disaster prevention measures as soon as possible.
At 8am yesterday, the bureau issued a sea warning to boats sailing in the waters east and southeast of Taiwan and in the Bashi Channel (巴士海峽), where long waves and gusts were observed. At 5pm yesterday, Talim, whose radius is 250km and is centered in the Pacific Ocean 720km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) -- Taiwan's southernmost tip -- is expected to be 180km east of Hualien in eastern Taiwan by 5pm today.
According to Hsieh Ming-chang (
"We predict that the weather in Taiwan will be significantly affected by the typhoon [today and tomorrow]," Hsieh said.
If Talim continues on its current path, it will land in eastern Taiwan today, sweeping north and moving toward Fujian Province in China. However, due to a high pressure front moving northeast of Taiwan, Talim's route might change. But forecasters said heavy rains nationwide would be inevitable, no matter what route the typhoon took.
Talim could bring abundant rainfall to northern Taiwan, forecasters said. The Taipei City Government yesterday urged residents to relocate cars parked along the banks of the Keelung River (
Meanwhile, Premier Frank Hsieh (
"We will be well-prepared for all kinds of situations," the premier said. "However, we will alert the public if there is a need to interrupt regular water supplies."
Hsieh made his remarks yesterday morning, when reporters asked him whether the government could promise constant water supply services and that it carried out all necessary preparations for the typhoon. The premier said that no damage will occur if everybody cooperates.
The premier was surrounded by reporters and was questioned as to whether the drought in Taoyuan after the most recent typhoon would occur again.
According to the Shihmen Reservoir Management Center, a minor flood discharge has been carried out for safety reasons as of yesterday afternoon. The discharge was part of the preparations for the typhoon, because the reservoir is almost full. In the meantime, however, the water in the reservoir has again become muddy, sparking concerns about an interruption of water supplies in Taoyuan County.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
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