Taiwan issued a maritime warning and airlines cancelled a number of flights as the island braced for Typhoon Talim. The storm is expected to hit several cities, including the Capital Taipei, before hurtling towards China as a super typhoon.
Its greatest impact will be felt later on Wednesday and on Thursday, when it is expected to slam into the north and northeast of the country with maximum sustained winds packing speeds of 137 kmph, according to the Central Weather Bureau’s website.
But the path of the typhoon is not predictable, and the Taiwanese government has yet to decide whether it will close financial markets, companies and schools on Thursday, Reuters reported.
“Typhoon Talim has been changing its course and is not entirely predictable,” Taiwan’s Premier William Lai said. “It’s been expected to hit Taiwan directly, but its trajectory has altered further northward and eastward.”
The level of alert remains high, and two of China’s largest carriers, China Airlines and EVA Airways, said they will cancel inbound and outbound international flights. The Central Weather Bureau has issued a warning for sea traffic.
A super typhoon will hit China
Talim could strengthen into a super typhoon with winds of 187 kmph in the late afternoon on Thursday, just before making landfall in Zhejiang. Half a million people may need to be evacuated if the storm intensifies, according to Chinese media reports.
This article was previously published in Scroll.
Photo credit: steve: they can’t all be zingers!!! (primus) via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND
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