Taiwan, eastern China brace for tropical storm Fung-Wong
Severe Tropical Storm Fung-Wong leaves deadly path in Philippines
Coastal provinces and Taiwan raised their storm alerts yesterday and braced for the arrival of Severe Tropical Storm Fung-Wong, after the storm deluged parts of the Philippines, killing at least five people and displacing thousands of others.
The US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre said the tropical storm would probably make landfall in southern Taiwan this morning. But Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau forecast that it could reach the island as early as last night.
Fung-Wong, which means "phoenix" in English, was centred about 630km southwest of Taipei yesterday morning, moving northwards at about 18.5km/h, and could affect eastern provinces on the mainland.
Taiwanese authorities warned of stormy seas along the island's coast. Boats operating in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines should be on alert, they said.
The storm caused downpours throughout the northern and central Philippines, affecting more than half a million people. A quarter of Metro Manila was flooded on Friday, with power blackouts affecting more than 100,000 people.
Fujian authorities said Fung-Wong's impact was already being felt by yesterday morning, with gusts of up to 88km/h recorded in one island in the province.