Updated on September 29, 2015: The powerful typhoon Dujuan has been wreaking havoc on the residents of Taiwan. On Monday, the super storm swept Taiwan with heavy rain killing two in the process. Some areas in the country received around 900 mm of rain in 24 hours, which is about a third of the annual rainfall in Taiwan. Nearly, 2 million houses lost power in Taiwan as heavy rain and gusty winds took over. Not only this, about 300 people been injured as the storm lashed Taiwan.
Schools remained closed for the second consecutive day along with rail and air transportation being suspended. There is still a very high possibility of high waves and mudslides affecting some areas in Taiwan. Also, the popular rock band Bon Jovi still had to cancel their show for the second night due to Typhoon Dujuan. However, the storm has now weakened as it heads towards East China in the Fujian province.
Updated on September 28, 2015: Powerful Typhoon Dujuan has finally made landfall in Yilan County in Taiwan. The storm is expected to make a second landfall in East China. The warm waters of the Philippine Sea helped the typhoon gain strength over the weekend. According to the Hong Kong Observatory, Typhoon Dujuan has attained the category of a super typhoon.
Northern parts of Taiwan have been receiving heavy rain due to the moisture from the typhoon being wrung out over the mountains. About 130 mm rain was recorded on the northern tip of the island. Rainfall is expected to increase even further as Dujuan will hit the north-central coast of the island during the evening hours.
When Typhoon approaches closer to the island, torrential rains along with strong winds will batter the nation. More than 7,000 people have already been evacuated as super typhoon nears. Rail services have also been suspended on account of the storm. Also, ferry and flight services have also been put to a halt.
Coastal areas are likely to be more dangerous due to the raresuper blood moonevent that occurred on Sunday. As the moon has reached the closest orbital point to the Earth, it has a stronger gravitational pull at present.
Dujuan will remain powerful and is likely to be as strong as a category 3 and category 4 hurricane and may be a threat to life and property. The mountains in the northeastern parts of Taiwan will be severely affected. Some parts of Taiwan may receive more than 2 feet of rain.
After affecting Taiwan, Dujuan will approach eastern China. Thereafter, the storm may weaken but it will be strong enough to give extremely heavy rain and eventually cause flooding. In Taiwan, around 24,000 troops are on alert for relief and evacuations. Also, over 100 shelters have been set up to tackle the storm.
Image Credit: nbcnews.com
