Taiwan Today

Residents should take all necessary precautions against strong winds and heavy rain as medium-strength Typhoon Morakot advances rapidly toward Taiwan. Morakot, the eighth typhoon of the year, became a medium-strength typhoon 8 p.m. Aug. 5. The Central Weather Bureau issued a sea warning at 8:30 p.m. At the earliest, the CWB will issue a land warning at 8 a.m. Aug. 6. By the evening of Aug. 6 all of Taiwan will gradually come within the storm’s area. Kathy Lin, deputy director of the CWB’s Weather Forecasting Center, said Morakot’s position at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 5 was 950 kilometers east of Yilan, moving rapidly west at a speed of 23 kilometers per hour. As the storm approaches Taiwan, seas off the north, northeast and southeast coasts will be affected. Due to the typhoon’s solid structure, its strength is growing, and it could develop into an intense typhoon. Morakot’s position at 8 p.m. Aug. 6 is predicted to be 390 kilometers east-southeast of Yilan. The outer rim of the typhoon could reach the island late at night Aug. 6 or early in the morning Aug. 7. Morakot is packing gusts of 43 meters per second (roughly 155 kilometers per hour), equal to level 14 winds. All of Taiwan will experience strong winds and heavy rain, first in the north and northeast. It appears that Morakot is most likely to make landfall in the north. Its course will become clearer Aug. 6. Lin said its course is affected by high pressure areas in the northern Pacific. If the high pressure increases, the path of the typhoon will become more westerly, in which case the outer rim will first hit eastern Taiwan. If there is a decrease in the high pressure, the typhoon is more likely to make landfall in the north or northeast. Rain and winds Aug. 5 were not heavy throughout the island. The CWB said the typhoon’s periphery will affect Taiwan Aug. 6, bringing gradually increasing wind and rain, with the heaviest wind and rain Aug. 7. Around 8 p.m. Aug. 8 the storm will begin moving away from the island, but Father’s Day most likely will be spent in stormy typhoon weather. (THN)