The Central Weather Bureau at 8:30am yesterday issued a land alert for Typhoon Malakas, with the second typhoon to affect Taiwan this week expected to bring strong winds to eastern and northern parts of the nation.
At press time last night, Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei City, Yilan and Hualien counties had announced a typhoon day for today, canceling school and work.
At 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 264km east of Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春), moving west at 21kph, the bureau said.
Photo: Yu Ming-chin, Taipei Time
The typhoon is likely to move closest to Taiwan today and the eye could even make landfall on the northeast coast, according to the latest projections of the typhoon’s course.
The bureau urged people in Hualien and Taitung counties to take precautions against storm damage.
Malakas arrived just two days after Typhoon Meranti barreled across southern Taiwan, bringing the strongest gusts the region has seen in decades and some flooding.
According to the latest estimate released by the Council of Agriculture yesterday, the nation sustained at least NT$685 million (US$21.62 million) in agricultural losses from Typhoon Meranti.
The figure rose from an estimate of NT$600 million in losses released by the council on Thursday.
Though the eye of the storm did not make landfall in Taiwan, passing through the Bashi Channel to the south, Meranti’s powerful winds and heavy rains pounded southern Taiwan on Wednesday, leaving one person dead and 51 injured.
Photo: CNA
It also wreaked havoc on the region’s farms.
The council said in its latest update that Kaohsiung’s farmers were hardest hit by the storm, sustaining at least NT$464 million in losses, or 68 percent of the national total.
Pingtung County suffered NT$180 million in losses, or 16 percent of the total, followed by Penghu County with NT$45.94 million in losses and Taitung County with NT$21.47 million in losses, the council said.
Photo: CNA
Crop damage accounted for most of the losses, according to the council, with 7,456 hectares of farmland and NT$573 million worth of crops damaged.
Guava growers took the biggest hit, suffering crop losses of NT$247.64 million and damage to 1,602 hectares of farmland, council data showed.
Farmers of dates, bananas, wax apples and tomatoes also sustained heavy losses, the statistics showed.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
Damage to agricultural facilities and buildings was also heavy, totaling more than NT$105 million, according to the latest estimate.
In Taitung County’s Aboriginal Hongye Village (紅葉), the hometown of the legendary Hongye Teenage Baseball Team, about 30 to 40 houses were buried in a landslide caused by Typhoon Meranti. Residents had already been evacuated.
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