 TAIPEI
(Reuters) - Typhoon Bilis tore through Taiwan early on Wednesday,
killing at least three people and cutting power to hundreds of
thousands of homes with strong winds and torrential rain before
turning toward mainland China.
At least three people were killed, 10 missing and 21 slightly
injured, Taiwan disaster response officials said.
State utility
Taiwan Power's typhoon response centre said about 600,000 clients
had lost power around the island.
The storm
weakened as it passed over land but still packed sustained winds
of 165 km (102.5 miles) per hour with gusts of up to 200 (124
miles) per hour, the Central Weather Bureau said. The storm had
gusted up to 235 km (146 miles) per hour as it approached the
island.
Airline flights
have either been cancelled or delayed. Financial markets, schools
and offices were closed.
By dawn the
rain had stopped over much of the island but winds were still
gusting in many areas.
The Hong Kong
Observatory said Bilis was moving westward and expected to make
landfall near Xiamen in southeastern China later on Wednesday.
It was not
expected to make a direct hit on Hong Kong, although winds in
the territory were expected to strengthen around the time of landfall,
it said.
At 8 a.m.
local time (0000 GMT), Bilis was estimated to be about 510 km
(319 miles) east-northeast of Hong Kong and was expected to move
west-northwest at about 22 km (14 miles) per hour towards China's
southeastern Fujian province.
The observatory
cancelled its earlier forecast for fine and hot weather in Hong
Kong on Wednesday and added that it had hoisted its number one
warning signal.
The number
one signal means a tropical cyclone was centred within about 800
km (500 miles) of Hong Kong.
|
