Then it will move northwest at the same speed towards Guangdong Province in China with maximum sustained wind speeds of 150kph. A storm surge of 2 to 3 meter (7 to 10 feet) is expected along the coast.
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Mudslides will be possible in eastern China.
It’s now the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. “Packing winds between 202 to 220 kilometers per hour, it is interacting with another storm, Malakas, 1,000 kilometers away, and the route could be hard to predict”.
The category 5 super-typhoon Meranti, the world’s strongest typhoon of 2016, has seen flights cancelled and schools close as it hits Taiwan, which has already begun to feel the effects of the storm. Taiwan Power Co., the state-run utility, estimated as many as 207,999 homes lost power on Wednesday.
Domestic flights have also been suspended, while global flights severely affected.
Schools and businesses were closed and nearly 1,500 residents evacuated their homes, according to a statement by the Central Emergency Operation centre.
In West Dawu, rainfall totaled 707 millimeters or almost 28 inches, and flood warnings are in place for 16 rivers, the news agency said. Authorities have also initiated emergency response measures as the storm approaches.
Parts of Taiwan are brought to a standstill as Super Typhoon Meranti skirts past the island’s southern tip, knocking out power for more than 180,000 households.
China could also be in the path of the storm, as areas from Hong Kong northward along the coast could be in store for rough weather Wednesday into Thursday.
Ships have been ordered to return to harbor and residents told to stay indoors.
Meranti is also the strongest typhoon to come close to Taiwan since 1959. But as storms move into the mainland, they often turn deadlier.
With news that another powerful typhoon is headed their way, villagers are frantically attempting to fix damaged homes and strengthen roofs before the storm hits.
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Taiwan is a frequent target for powerful Pacific typhoons. However, he added that the authorities are not expecting any more damage.
