Northern Taiwan shuts schools, offices as typhoon Khanun approaches
Beijing, Aug 3 (EFE).- Authorities in northern Taiwan announced the closure of schools and public offices on Thursday due to the impending arrival of typhoon Khanun, state news agency CNA reported.
Among the cities affected by the closure is the capital, Taipei, as well as New Taipei, Keelung and Yilan.
On Wednesday, the island’s weather agency warned that the typhoon’s passage through that area would cause up to 80 millimeters of rainfall in 24 hours.
Apart from schools and offices, it is common for establishments such as banks to also suspend their operations during the days that the authorities classify as typhoon days.
At 5:30 pm on Wednesday, the center of Typhoon Khanun was located about 430 kilometers (267 miles) east and northeast of Taipei.
It was moving in a west-northwest direction, causing wind gusts of up to 209 kilometers per hour, according to the authorities.
It is expected to slow down from 9 to 4 kilometers before Thursday night although despite weakening it still poses a threat, CNA reported, citing local meteorologists.
Meanwhile, the Taiwan Maritime and Port Bureau announced that ferry services between ports on the east coast and offshore islands will be suspended on Thursday.
Khanun is due to arrive in Taiwan just a week after another typhoon, Doksuri, devastated the island, causing outages in thousands of homes and killing at least one person. EFE
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