Koinu is expected to make landfall on Taiwan's southeastern
coast near the city of Taitung on Thursday morning as a category
three typhoon, but then weaken as it crosses the island's
southern tip and enters the Taiwan Strait, according to Tropical
Storm Risk.
The heaviest rain will fall along mountainous and sparsely
populated parts of Pingtung county in the south and the east
coast counties of Taitung and Hualien, but the typhoon will also
affect the major southern port city of Kaohsiung.
In Taitung, fishermen secured their boats in port, as waves
gradually became more intense along Taiwan's east coast.
"We are worried that the rain and wind will be very strong when
the typhoon makes landfall, so from our end we will strengthen
typhoon prevention, and we hope local residents stay alert and
be careful," said Chen Chia-chen from Taiwan's Ocean Affairs
Council, speaking in Taitung.
Kaohsiung and its neighboring city of Tainan said they would
suspend work and classes from 6 pm (1000GMT) on Wednesday and
all day on Thursday.
Taiwan's capital Taipei was lashed by squally rain showers, but
was not expected to be badly affected. Offices and schools
remained open as normal.
Taiwanese airlines cancelled 87 domestic flights, while 25
international ones were also cancelled, the transport ministry
said.
After passing through Taiwan, the typhoon will head towards
southern China's Guangdong and Fujian provinces and then Hong
Kong, where it is likely to weaken further to become a tropical
storm.
Hong Kong's Weather Observatory said Koinu will enter within 800
km (500 miles) of the financial hub on Wednesday afternoon. The
observatory will issue the lowest typhoon signal, 1, on
Wednesday night.
(Reporting by Fabian Hamacher and Carlos Garcia; Writing by Ben
Blanchard; Additional reporting by Farah Master in Hong Kong;
Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Edwina Gibbs)
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