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Local chiefs apologize for sending children into danger (Video)

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-09-27
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

As Typhoon Megi is taking dead aim at Taiwan, most local governments announced a full-day school and 6773937office closures for Tuesday, except Yunlin County, Chiayi County/City, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City. A video of four school children trying to take shelter behind an electric pole against strong gusts caused by Typhoon Megi went viral. The scene reportedly took place in Chiayi County. Chiayi Magistrate Chang Hwa-kuan offered her apologies to citizens for the decision allowing closures only in the second half of the day, saying she felt sorry to see school children suffering on their way home.

On Tuesday noon, a netizen posted a video on an online gossip forum “Bao-liao-gon-se” with a description saying that the video was shot near Nan Shin Elementary School in Chiayi at noon when school students were walking home from the school. The footage shows that four students, probably aged between 7 and 10, could barely walk against strong gusts and then chose to take shelter behind an electric pole.     [FULL  STORY]

4 dead, 268 injured as Typhoon Megi pounds Taiwan (update)

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/09/27
By: Chu Che-wei, Kuo Chu-chen and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Sept. 27 (CNA) Four persons have been killed and 268 others injured across Taiwan as Typhoon

Medics carry a patient to cross a blocked road in Taoyuan Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of the Taoyuan City Fire Department)

Medics carry a patient to cross a blocked road in Taoyuan Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of the Taoyuan City Fire Department)

Megi battered the country with powerful winds and heavy rain, according to the Central Emergency Operation Center information valid as of 8:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Typhoon Megi, which made landfall in Hualien in eastern Taiwan at around 2 p.m. Tuesday, caused casualties mainly as a result of traffic accidents, drowning and people being hit by flying debris or falling from rooftop, the data showed.

The number of casualties nationwide could rise as the storm hovered over Taiwan, battering the country with torrential rain and winds of up to 198 kilometers per hour, the center indicated.

Meanwhile, more than 3.16 million homes across the country had lost power, the second highest on record. Taiwan Power Co. said 3,400 workers have been hard at work repairing supply for 1.56 million homes by late Tuesday.     [SOURCE]

Severe weather expected throughout Taiwan as Typhoon Megi hits

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/09/27

Taipei, Sept. 27 (CNA) The Central Weather Bureau warned of severe weather conditions throughout

Location of the storm at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday

Location of the storm at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday

Tuesday and lasting into Wednesday as the center of Typhoon Megi is expected to make landfall early Tuesday afternoon, bringing powerful winds and torrential rain all around Taiwan.

The weather bureau once again urged the public to take precautions, including removing objects from balconies, to minimize storm damage and injuries. People are also advised not to venture outdoors unless necessary.

As of 8:30 a.m., the center of the typhoon was located some 220 kilometers to the southeast of Hualien, moving toward Taiwan in a northwest-by-west direction at a speed of 22 kph, slowing to 18 kph. Wind speed close to the eye of the storm was registered at 45 meters per second, or 162 kph.

The outer rim of the storm reached Taiwan’s eastern coast at about 5 a.m., putting Kinmen and Matsu Islands on the other side of Taiwan on alert in addition to the rest of the country, the bureau said.     [FULL  STORY]

Parts of Taiwan on ‘red alert’ for landslides as typhoon hits

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-09-27
By: Wendy Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

A “red alert” mudslide warning has been issued to residents living in Taoyuan City and Hsinchu County 6773915Tuesday, while a yellow mudslide warning was in effect for residents in Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung.

Typhoon Megi has made landfall in eastern Taiwan on Tuesday morning around 5 a.m., bringing heavy rains and strong winds across the island.

Residents living in Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung are being warned of extremely torrential rains during the day, while other regions in Taiwan are expected to experience heavy rains.

Meanwhile, Council of Agriculture (COA) under the Executive Yuan on Tuesday morning has issued a red alert mudslide warning to people living in Taoyuan City and Hsinchu County, as the typhoon could bring serious landslides and flooding to these areas.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Prison Dog Training Helps Inmates Stay Away from Crime

Dog trainers say the recidivism rate among inmates who trained dogs is ‘very low.’

The News Lens
Date: 2016/09/26
By: Hsu Chia-yu

A dog trainer working at a prison in Taiwan believes that giving inmates time with stray dogs can help jlcqfq7mutgj43ymyp3w6rgitwjokvcombat recidivism.

A program that has been running at Hsinchu Prison for a decade has dog trainers teach prisoners how to train stray dogs. In addition to preparing the animals for adoption, the prisoners learn how to improve their own behavior, dog trainer Chen Ju-lon (陳鉅龍) says.

Chen makes weekly trips to the prison in northern Taiwan to help run the program. He told The News Lens International that prisoners who work with the animals often reflect on their past mistakes and become determined to “start over” after they leave prison.

“By interacting with the dogs, the prisoners open their hearts and become more willing to fix the mistakes they made,” he said.     [FULL  STORY]

Most cities and counties in Taiwan order work and school cancellation for Tuesday

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-09-26
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

As of 11:30 p.m. on Monday, 15 cities and counties in Taiwan have issued an order to cancel all work 6773908and classes on Tuesday due to Typhoon Magi.

The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) issued a land warning on Monday morning, reminding people that Tuesday (Sept 27) is when the typhoon’s impact on Taiwan will be the most evident.

The radius of the storm has increased from 220km to 250km, and the eye of the storm is located 350km east-southeast of Hualien as of 1 a.m. on Tuesday, moving towards Taiwan according to the CWB. Maximum wind speed is 43 m/s, and gust 53 m/s, the CWB said.     [FULL  STORY]

DPP legislative caucus condemns China over ICAO issue

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/09/26
By: Justine Su, Wang Cheng-chun, Hu Yu-li and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Sept. 26 (CNA) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers voiced anger at China for 48320922suppressing Taiwan with its “one China” principle and at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for not allowing Taiwan to attend its assembly this year.

Taiwan was not invited to the 39th session of the ICAO Assembly from Sept. 27 to Oct. 7 in Montreal, most likely because of the objections of Beijing, which regularly uses its clout to keep Taiwan out of major international organizations and activities.

In a statement issued on Monday, the DPP’s legislative caucus argued that aviation safety is crucial to the safety and welfare of passengers and that the issue should not be addressed differently based on ethnicity or nationality.

Moreover, no political preconditions should color the issue, the statement said.     [FULL  STORY]

Land alert issued ahead of typhoon

STRIKE FOUR:People in northern Taiwan are urged to pay close attention to the advance of Typhoon Megi as it moves northward bringing strong winds and heavy rain

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 27, 2016
By: Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

The Central Weather Bureau yesterday issued a land alert for Typhoon Megi, as it approached the east

Fishing boats return to harbor yesterday at Yilan County’s Nanfangao to take shelter from Typhoon Megi. Photo: CNA

Fishing boats return to harbor yesterday at Yilan County’s Nanfangao to take shelter from Typhoon Megi. Photo: CNA

coast bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to most of the nation.
The bureau said the alert applies to all cities and counties in Taiwan proper, as well as Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島), adding that a sea alert issued late on Sunday night applies to the Bashi Channel near the coast of Taiwan.

At 8pm yesterday, the center of the typhoon was 490km west of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻). The radius of the storm was 250km. It was moving west-northwest at 20kph, with maximum wind speeds reaching 216kph.

Schools and offices on Green and Orchid islands were closed yesterday evening as the two islands faced an immediate threat from the typhoon.

The bureau recorded wind speeds on Orchid Island reaching Level 13 on the Beaufort scale.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan braces for Typhoon Megi

The China Post
Date: September 27, 2016
By: The China Post news staff

Northern and Eastern Taiwan should brace for strong winds and heavy rainfall brought on by Typhoon

A fishing boat registered in Pingtung County is seen stranded near Longpan Park after its hull fractured amid strong winds brought during Typhoon Megi's approach to Taiwan. (CNA)

A fishing boat registered in Pingtung County is seen stranded near Longpan Park after its hull fractured amid strong winds brought during Typhoon Megi’s approach to Taiwan. (CNA)

Megi throughout today, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

The bureau said effects from Typhoon Megi were set to be at their most intense in Taiwan throughout today and Wednesday.

As of 5:30 a.m. Monday, Megi was centered 490 kilometers east-southeast of Hualien on Taiwan’s east coast, moving in a west-northwesterly direction at 21 kilometers per hour.

Megi is expected to make landfall between Hualien and Taitung with torrential rainfall and winds. Eastern Taiwan is expected to take the brunt of the incoming storm, according to CWB.

Huge waves were recorded off the coasts of Su’ao, Hualien and Taitung, the CWB reported, with many ranging as high as 3 or 4 meters tall.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan evacuates tourists ahead of third storm in two weeks

Taiwan evacuated thousands of tourists from outlying islands Monday and set up nearly 100 shelters across the island as it braced for its third typhoon in two weeks.

Manila Bulletin
Date: September 26, 2016
By: Agence France-Presse

The east coast is still reeling from damage caused by Super Typhoon Meranti earlier this month — the

This photo taken on July 10, 2016 shows residents looking at a damaged car in the aftermath of a tropical storm in Bandong town, in Minqing county, east China's Fujian province. A tropical storm that made landfall in Fujian province on July 9 left six people dead and at least eight more missing, reports said, after it lashed Taiwan with typhoon-grade winds and rain. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

This photo taken on July 10, 2016 shows residents looking at a damaged car in the aftermath of a tropical storm in Bandong town, in Minqing county, east China’s Fujian province.
A tropical storm that made landfall in Fujian province on July 9 left six people dead and at least eight more missing, reports said, after it lashed Taiwan with typhoon-grade winds and rain. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

strongest storm for 21 years to hit Taiwan — followed by Typhoon Malakas.

The same part of the island is in the firing line again from approaching Typhoon Megi, which is already bringing strong winds and waves.

It is due to make landfall on the east coast on Tuesday and forecast to bring almost a metre of rain to some areas over three days.

Ferries to Taiwan’s Green Island and Orchid Island were halted Monday after more than 3,700 visitors were evacuated over the weekend.

A 700-ton crane was blown over Monday at a harbour in the eastern area of Hualien. It crushed a nearby building but no one was injured.

More than 35,000 soldiers are on standby to help with disaster relief and 92 shelters are open for residents.

At 0715 GMT Megi was 530 kilometres (329 miles) east-southeast of Hualien, packing gusts of up to 191 kilometres (119 miles) per hour.     [FULL  STORY]