Taiwan News, 2008-08-06
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Typhoon Morakot was likely to envelop all of Taiwan in heavy rain and strong winds Friday and Saturday, according to forecasts by the Central Weather Bureau.
The rains were likely to cause mudslides in the hills and floods in low-lying areas, but also to fill the country’s water reservoirs, ending recent fears of drought and water rationing.
Schools and offices in Taipei City and Keelung would be closed Friday, local governments announced. Other areas were to decide Thursday evening. Airlines canceled domestic flights scheduled for Friday.
The typhoon was gaining strength as it was moving west-northwest in the direction of northern Taiwan, while its radius of 250 kilometers was likely to include all of Taiwan.
At 4 p.m. Thursday, the eye of the typhoon was located 480 kilometers east-southeast of Ilan, and moving west at a speed slowing down from 22 to 16 kilometers per hour, the weather bureau said.
Morakot was packing sustained winds of up to 137 kilometers per hour with gusts of up to 173 kilometers per hour.
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