Adios: Typhoon Maria to leave Taiwan by noon

颱風瑪麗亞中午離開台灣

Typhoon Maria predicted to leave Taiwan by noon today


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- After lashing Taiwan since yesterday evening, the tail end of TyphoonMaria should be leaving the country by noon today (July 11), according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

At 6 a.m. this morning, Typhoon Maria was 100 kilometers east of Matsu and was moving at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour and by 9:30 a.m., it make landfall inFujianProvince near the city of Ningde. Maria is still packing maximum sustained winds of 172 kilometers per hour and its radius is 280 kilometers in width.

CWB senior technical specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said that Typhoon Maria had enveloped all of northern and eastern Taiwan, bringing with it heavy rain. By 6 a.m. this morning, heavy rain had been reported in many parts of northern Taiwan, including 387 mm in Taipei, 305 mm in Hsinchu County, 269 mm in Miaoli County, 254 mm in New Taipei, 245 mm in TaoyuanCity, 244 in Taichung City, and 206 mm in Yilan.


CWB map of precipitation from midnight to 7:30 a.m.

As for the wind, the CWB observed level 16 gusts atPengchiaIslet, level 14 winds in New Taipei's Bitoujiao, level 13 winds in LianchiangCounty, level 11 winds on Orchid Island, and Taipei's Dazhisaw level 10 gusts. Wu said that the storm will depart Taiwan around noon and at that time the CWB will likely lift its sea and land warnings for the country.

However, Wu warned that Matsu will continue to be affected by the typhoon in the afternoon, which may include level 14 wind gusts. Wu predicts that wind and rain will continuethroughout Taiwan until the evening.

The CWB has issued a strong wind alert for Matsu and reminds people on the island to be vigilant.


Fallen tree branches in Taipei's Xinyi District. (CNA photo)

Taiwan News report made at 1 a.m. in Taipei as strong gusts from Typhoon Maria were blowing through the city: