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Taiwan feels the full force of Fanapi
Source: Agencies |
01:16 UTC+8 September 20, 2010
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TYPHOON Fanapi injured at least 45 people, canceled flights and cut power to tens of thousands in Taiwan yesterday.
Fanapi, Taiwan's most severe storm so far this year, brought 162 kph wind gusts that caused injuries by toppling scooters, breaking glass and blowing down signs, the island's disaster response center said.
Gusts and sustained winds of up to 126 kph grounded 120 domestic and 36 international flights. They also kept Taiwan's main port of Kaohsiung closed into the evening, though the No. 2 port in Keelung reopened in the afternoon.
More than 63,000 households lost power yesterday, the disaster center said. But Taiwan's top high-tech firms, a backbone of the economy, reported no major impact.
Government officials are on extra-high alert to avoid a repeat of Taiwan's worst typhoon in five decades that triggered mudslides and killed about 700 people in August 2009.
Yesterday's storm began to abate in late afternoon, losing strength as it headed towards Chinese mainland, according to forecasting website Tropical Storm Risk.
The typhoon is expected to hit Fujian Province later today, where more than 186,000 people have been evacuated and all 55,000 vessels have taken shelter in harbors.
The shipping route linking Xiamen in Fujian and Jinmen in Taiwan was closed yesterday.
Education authorities in Xiamen said that all classes in primary and middle schools and kindergartens would be suspended today.
Gale with rain began in Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian, at noon yesterday, and 37 flights to and from Fuzhou Airport were canceled.
Taiwan officials were watching parts of the island for rainfall that could set off mudslides or close roads.
"The typhoon is getting gradually weaker, but heavy rain from its outer layers could still affect Taiwan's southern regions, and that's something we need to pay attention to," a disaster centre official said.
Fanapi, initially a category 3 typhoon on a 1-5 scale, is expected to reach Guangdong Province as a category 1 or a tropical storm, which is one level below the weakest typhoon.
Fanapi, Taiwan's most severe storm so far this year, brought 162 kph wind gusts that caused injuries by toppling scooters, breaking glass and blowing down signs, the island's disaster response center said.
Gusts and sustained winds of up to 126 kph grounded 120 domestic and 36 international flights. They also kept Taiwan's main port of Kaohsiung closed into the evening, though the No. 2 port in Keelung reopened in the afternoon.
More than 63,000 households lost power yesterday, the disaster center said. But Taiwan's top high-tech firms, a backbone of the economy, reported no major impact.
Government officials are on extra-high alert to avoid a repeat of Taiwan's worst typhoon in five decades that triggered mudslides and killed about 700 people in August 2009.
Yesterday's storm began to abate in late afternoon, losing strength as it headed towards Chinese mainland, according to forecasting website Tropical Storm Risk.
The typhoon is expected to hit Fujian Province later today, where more than 186,000 people have been evacuated and all 55,000 vessels have taken shelter in harbors.
The shipping route linking Xiamen in Fujian and Jinmen in Taiwan was closed yesterday.
Education authorities in Xiamen said that all classes in primary and middle schools and kindergartens would be suspended today.
Gale with rain began in Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian, at noon yesterday, and 37 flights to and from Fuzhou Airport were canceled.
Taiwan officials were watching parts of the island for rainfall that could set off mudslides or close roads.
"The typhoon is getting gradually weaker, but heavy rain from its outer layers could still affect Taiwan's southern regions, and that's something we need to pay attention to," a disaster centre official said.
Fanapi, initially a category 3 typhoon on a 1-5 scale, is expected to reach Guangdong Province as a category 1 or a tropical storm, which is one level below the weakest typhoon.
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