Taiwan on alert as Typhoon Pabuk approaches by Steph Ball
Taiwan has issued sea and land warnings as Typhoon Pabuk approaches from the east. It is on course to make landfall on the island late Tuesday, just north of Taitung, and is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain.
Tropical Storm Pabuk was upgraded to a typhoon overnight and as of the early hours of Tuesday was packing winds of 75mph (120km/h), with gusts to 90mph ( around 150km/h). It is forecast to strengthen a little further today as it approaches Taiwan with gusts exceeding 100mph (160km/h).
Pabuk, named after a freshwater fish, is the sixth storm of the 2007 Pacific typhoon season. The season generally runs from early summer to late autumn, when the storms develop in the warm waters of the Pacific, with some intensifying into typhoons. These frequently go on to affect Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong and parts of Southern China.
The Philippines has also issued warnings for Pabuk, for the Batanes group of islands as well as for the Babuyan Islands. The storm has already brought heavy rains across Luzon, triggering a landslide which killed eight people, though leaving farmers rejoicing at the rain after months of prolonged drought.
The rain may also be a welcome commodity for Taiwan, helping to bring an end to the drought which the east coast has been experiencing this year. Further updates may appear here as the typhoon makes landfall.
