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Taiwan
ChinaPeople & Culture

Super typhoon Maria set to hit northern Taiwan as island prepares for landslides, floods

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A woman looks at a display with a typhoon chart at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. Super typhoon Maria was heading towards the island on Tuesday morning and as expected to hit the north the hardest. Photo: EPA-EFE
Reuters

Taiwan braced for super typhoon Maria on Tuesday, with some transport services suspended and the weather bureau warning of landslides and flash floods on the heavily industrialised island.

As of Tuesday morning, Maria was 490km (305 miles) east of Yilan, moving in a west-northwesterly direction at 30km/h (18mph). It was expected to hit the north of Taiwan the hardest, the Central Weather Bureau said.

Troops were deployed in some areas, with heavy rain and winds expected later on Tuesday and early on Wednesday.

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The government announced schools are to close early and work is to end at 4pm on Tuesday.

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China Airlines said some flights could be delayed or cancelled due to the typhoon.

Taiwan is frequently hit by typhoons during the summer, but it has stepped up its preparations and been on guard against the potential for severe and deadly typhoons since Typhoon Morakot devastated the island in 2009.

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