BEIJING, Sept. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Its the16th typhoon to hit Taiwan this year. It arrived on the southwest coast of Taiwan on Sunday morning and is expected to hit China’s provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang as it moves northward.
Tropical storm Fung-Wong lashing Taiwan. The storm has brought torrential rains and strong winds, whipping up some huge waves off the island’s southern coast.
Packing winds of 90 kilometers an hour, Fung-Wong dumped up to 60 centimeters of rain as it tracked north-northeast.
57 domestic and 7 international flights were cancelled, along with a number of ferry services to smaller islands and the Chinese mainland.
Thousands of tourists were left stranded.
"I can’t go anywhere, I’m very disappointed," A tourist said.
"We went to Kenting yesterday and planned to to go Hualieng today. Because of the tropical storm, all trips have been cancelled," A tourist said.
1,200 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas prone to mudslides.
Fung Wong is the 2nd big storm to hit Taiwan this year, following Typhoon Matmo in July.
It’s predicted to continue moving into the mainland’s east coast provinces, including Fujian and Zhejiang, where the storm’s impact was already being felt by Saturday.
Heavy rainstorm alerts remain in place in these regions, coastal scenic spots have shut down, fishing boats are returning to port.
"We heard a typhoon was coming, so we returned to the harbor after selling all fish. Security measures are all set up." A fisherman said.
The strong winds and downpours are set to continue in coastal parts of Fujian and Zhejiang, at least until Monday.
Fung-Wong has already claimed 10 lives in the Philippines, with floods forcing thousands from their homes. Chinese authorities are doing everything they can to avoid similar tragedies.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
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