Taiwan issues warning to ships, battens down for Typhoon Talim

TAIPEI/ BEIJING: Taiwan issued a warning to ships and airlines cancelled some flights yesterday as the island braced for Typhoon Talim, which was expected to hit cities including the capital Taipei, before hurtling towards China potentially as a super typhoon.

Talim was expected to gain in strength as it sweeps towards Taiwan’s northern cities, lashing them with strong wind and heavy rain, the Central Weather Bureau said.

The brunt of the storm would be felt today, when it was expected to slam into the north and northeast with maximum sustained wind speeds of 137 km per hour and gusts of up to 173 km per hour, the bureau said.

“Typhoon Talim has been changing course and is not entirely predictable. It’s been expected to hit Taiwan directly, but its trajectory has altered further northward and eastward,” said Premier William Lai.

“But at this point our emergency operation centre has not lowered its level of alert,” he added.

It had not yet been decided whether the Taiwan government would close financial markets, companies and schools today.

China Airlines and EVA Airways, Taiwan’s two largest carriers, said they would cancel some international flights later yesterday.

Formosa Petrochemical Corp, Taiwan’s second- biggest oil supplier, said it had prepared to close its supply port if necessary.

Typhoons are a seasonal routine for Taiwan, but the island has stepped up preparations since Typhoon Morakat in 2009. Morakat was the deadliest typhoon to hit the island in recorded history, killing close to 700 people, most in landslides.

In mainland China, more than 200,000 people in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces have been evacuated, China’s official Xinhua news agency said.

Talim could make landfall along Zhejiang’s northern coast as a strong typhoon, packing gusts of up to 48 metres per second, the China Meteorological Administration said. — Reuters