News
Offices and schools reopen after typhoon
Offices and schools in most areas are reopening today after islandwide closures caused by Typhoon Kong-Rey but local governments in New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Nantou, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, Yilan, Hualien and Taitung have said that certain districts, townships and villages in remote areas made the decision to suspended work and classes for a second consecutive day. The local government on Matsu also announced a second day of closures.
The Central Weather Administration is forecasting "heavy rain" to "extremely torrential rain" in parts of Taiwan today. Downpours are forecast for Hualien and Taitung, as well as mountainous areas of Yilan, Hsinchu, Taichung and Nantou.
The Central Emergency Operation Center says one person was killed and 205 other people injured when Typhoon Kong-Rey battered Taiwan. The Nantou County Fire Department said a foreign national was killed in a small truck after it was struck by a falling tree on Provincial Highway 14-A near Ren'ai Township. Meanwhile, the Taroko National Park Management Office in Hualien County says it managed to make contact with two Czech tourists who were reported missing earlier Thursday. The couple entered the park from Yue Wang Pavilion on Sunday and officials say they were initially unable to confirm their location as their mobile devices were turned off, but finally managed to make contact early Thursday afternoon. The couple had safely managed to return to Yue Wang Pavilion.
The typhoon moved into the Taiwan Strait at 18:40 on Thursday just west of Yunlin County's Mai-Liao Township after making landfall in Taitung's Cheng-Gong Township at 13:40 on Thursday. The storm was one of the largest in size to directly impact Taiwan in some two decades - and resulted in 10-metre high waves in some coastal areas and flooding. The typhoon was also the first to make landfall after mid-October. The storm made landfall with a radius of 320-kilometers - but weakened to a "moderate typhoon" with wind speeds of up to 155-kilometers-an-hour as it passed over the Central Mountain Range. Kong-Rey is now a tropical storm and as of 06:15 this morning, moving in a north-northeasterly direction.
In other typhoon news, most domestic flights are to resume today. However, services to and from the Matsu will remain disrupted as civil aviation authorities wait for Typhoon Kong-Rey to weaken. UNI Airways says with the exception of the Taipei to Matsu route, all other flights will resume at 11:00 this morning while Mandarin Airlines says its domestic flights will resume at 16:00 this afternoon. Meanwhile, 127 scheduled ferries on 14 routes remain suspended due to the weather. They include those between Taipei and Matsu as well from Taitung to both Green and Orchid islands. A ferry service from Keelung to Matsu is also currently suspended today, pending a review of the weather conditions at 11:00 this morning.
International passengers can expect to see some delays due to the large number of cancellations on Thursday. Those scheduled to take international flights today are being advised to check with their carriers before heading to the airport.
