Furious weather
Rain and winds lash island as weakened typhoon blows by
Waves caused by typhoon Maria battering the coast near Wenling in east China’s Zhejiang province, which drew spectators (inset) to the shoreline. Medium strength Maria has injured a few people in Taiwan and prompted more than 3,000 to be moved to shelters before making landfall in China.
TAIPEI: Schools and offices were closed in parts of Taiwan as Typhoon Maria skirted the island bringing torrential rain and powerful winds.
Officials had warned of floods and landslides, evacuating thousands of people, but the storm weakened as it approached Taiwan and moved past it to the north.
Downpours of up to 100mm hit some areas overnight, according to the weather bureau, and strong winds were still expected as the storm moved northwest.
People were told to avoid the coast where waves as high as 9m were recorded. Television images showed trees felled overnight and blocking some roads in the mountains north of Taipei.
While official statistics did not record any fatalities, local media reports said a man fell to his death when he was checking the windows at his home.
Close to 3,500 people were evacuated across the island from areas prone to floods and landslides, with more than 2,000 soldiers mobilised.
About 43,000 households in Taiwan lost power at the typhoon’s peak and the storm also affected hundreds of flights.
Maria is the first typhoon of the season for Taiwan and damage was limited for the island which is prone to violent storms through the summer.
Last year, more than 100 people were injured when Typhoon Nesat battered the island, causing flooding and widespread power outage. Maria made landfall in east China’s Fujian province later yesterday morning, Xinhua reported.
Typhoon warnings were also issued in Japan’s southernmost region yesterday as the storm passed through Okinawa, but no major damage was reported.
Japan is already reeling from its worst weather-related disaster for decades after days of deadly floods and landslides triggered by record rains killed at least 176 in the west of the country.