《TAIPEI TIMES》 Mitag strengthens as it nears Taiwan

BATTLE-READY: More than 34,000 soldiers, including 135 marines and special forces members, and 5,100 military vehicles and equipment were on standby

/ Staff writer, with CNA

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Typhoon Mitag yesterday strengthened as it approached Taiwan, bringing strong winds and torrential rains, which are expected to affect the northern and northeastern parts of the country until today, the Central Weather Bureau said.

As of 8:30pm yesterday, Mitag was about 110km southeast of the coast of Yilan County, with its radius covering the nation’s eastern and southeastern land mass.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 126kph, with gusts of up to 162kph, and moving at 25kph per hour north-northwest, the bureau said.

The storm was forecast to pass closer to the north and northeast of Taiwan than earlier predicted, it added.

Yesterday morning, the northern half of Taiwan, Nantou County, areas north of Taichung, Taitung County and the Matsu Islands were already being affected by the outer band of the typhoon, it said.

By early yesterday afternoon, the wind had picked up and rain increased in Yilan and Hualien counties and northern Taiwan, the bureau said, adding that in some areas of Yilan and northern Taiwan, winds would strengthen to levels 11 to 12 during the night.

On the extended version of the Beaufort scale that Taiwan uses, levels 11 to 12 indicate wind speeds of 104kph to 132kph.

As the storm moved toward the northwest, its effect on Hualien and Taitung lessened last night, but the wind and rain would continue in the northern and central parts of the country until this morning, the bureau said.

The Ministry of National Defense on Sunday night set up a disaster response center and placed tens of thousands of troops on standby in preparation for the typhooon.

The response center has been coordinating with local governments on disaster preparedness and relief work, the ministry said in a statement.

More than 34,000 soldiers, including 135 marines and special forces members, and 5,100 military vehicles and equipment are on standby, it said, adding that two amphibious assault vehicles and several rubber boats have been moved to New Taipei City’s Linkou District （林口） and Yilan County’s Suao Township （蘇澳） — two areas expected to be hit hard.

Soldiers also distributed sandbags and conducted evacuation operations with local authorities in two remote townships in New Taipei City and Yilan County yesterday morning.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES