Victims of Taiwan's earthquake breathed a sigh of relief yesterday when they were told Typhoon Dan would miss the island, but were warned by officials to remain vigilant.
Officials said bad weather caused by the typhoon could make life more difficult for the tens of thousands of homeless and threatened hi-tech industries.
Dan raged through Luzon, in the Philippines, yesterday morning, its outer bands taking heavy rainfalls to Taiwan. Rain was expected to continue today and for the next few days.
'Although the typhoon will not directly hit us, it will bring heavy rainfall to southern and eastern Taiwan,' said Central Weather Bureau director Chen Lai-fa.
'Mountainous areas in these regions will be badly affected. The rainfall will cause landslides and rock falls which will pose a serious threat to many towns and roads.' Eastern cities, such as Ilan and Hualien, would have heavy downpours and the quake-hit counties of Nantou and Taichung would also experience bad weather.
Taichung government chief Liao Yung-lai said an emergency headquarters had been set up to help thousands of people made homeless by the September 21 quake, which killed 2,294 people.