Taiwan issues typhoon warning

TAIPEI - Taiwan issued a land warning as a powerful typhoon headed toward the island on Wednesday, with the government warning of strong wind and heavy rain that could trigger landslides and flooding in mountain regions.

By 12pm NZT, Typhoon Talim was 390 km east-southeast of Hualien on Taiwan's east coast and packing maximum sustained winds of 184 km/h and gusts of up to 227 km/h, the Central Weather Bureau said.

Rain was already falling across parts of northern Taiwan including the capital Taipei early on Wednesday, with the government warning residents to stay away from coastal and mountain regions and rivers.

The typhoon was moving west-northwest at 21 km/h and, if it stayed on its present course, the full force of the storm was projected to hit late on Wednesday or early Thursday morning, the bureau said.

Typhoons frequently hit Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong and southern China in a typhoon season that lasts from early in the northern summer to late autumn.

Financial markets, government offices, schools and businesses have had two shut twice this year due to typhoons.

In 2001, one of Taiwan's deadliest years for storms, Typhoon Toraji, killed 200 people. A few months later, Typhoon Nari caused Taipei's worst flooding on record and killed 100.

- REUTERS