Taiwan shuts markets, schools as Typhoon Khanun approaches

TAIPEI - Taiwan shut markets and schools in northern parts of the island, including the capital Taipei on Thursday (Aug 3) as it braces itself for slow-moving Typhoon Khanun.

The storm is expected to brush past the island, and there are warnings of floods and high winds.

Khanun has been categorised by Taiwan's weather bureau as being on the second-strongest typhoon level.

It is slowly headed towards its north-eastern coasts with maximum winds of 209kmh.

The storm hit power lines in Japan's popular tourist destination Okinawa, knocking out electricity to more than 200,000 households on Wednesday morning and killing one man.

Northern cities including New Taipei, Keelung, Yilan and the capital Taipei will shut businesses and schools on Thursday. Taiwan's stock and foreign exchange markets will also be closed.

Total rainfall of up to 0.6m has been forecast in mountainous central Taiwan, while 0.3m of rain is expected in the mountains near Taipei.

Typhoon Khanun is moving across the ocean in a westerly direction at 4kmh, weather officials said, and is expected to skirt past Taiwan's northern coasts late on Thursday before making a sharp turn to the north-east on Friday.

Nearly 30 domestic and international flights have been cancelled, and all domestic ferry lines are suspended for Thursday.

An emergency response centre has been set up by the central government and hundreds of soldiers are on standby in northern cities, the Defence Ministry said.

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