Hualien, Yilan cancel workday as storm nears

Taipei Times
Date:  Aug 07, 2015
By: Kan Chih-chi and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

With Typhoon Soudelor looked set to affect the nation’s east coast, Hualien and Yilan county governments yesterday announced that offices would be closed today.

As of 8:30pm, the Central Weather Bureau had raised both sea and land warnings.

Ships out at sea to the northwest and southeast of Taiwan, including areas close to Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島), the Taiwan Strait and the northern parts of Taiwan should be on the lookout for strong winds and high waves, the bureau said.

At press time, the typhoon was 790km southeast of Hualien and was moving northwest at 23kph.

Classed as a category 2 typhoon by the Japan Meteorological Agency, the storm’s radius is expected to extend between 100km and 280km depending on whether its radius is classed as 7 or 10.     [FULL  STORY]