2023-08-28 07:57:05
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Typhoon Saola dumped heavy rain on the northern Philippines but missed landfall on its way to southern Taiwan and is heading for the southern coast of China.
Flooding in lowland towns displaced more than 2,300 people, most of whom sought shelter at government evacuation centers, disaster response officials in the northern Philippines said. No casualties have been reported.
Meteorological authorities warned of the risk of more flooding and landslides, especially in mountainous areas where there has been heavy rain in recent days.
The typhoon was advancing with maximum winds of 155 kilometers per hour (96 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 190 km/h (118 mph), according to the Philippine meteorological office. In some areas of the north of the country, ferries connecting the islands and cargo ships were prohibited from leaving the ports.
The Chinese port city of Xiamen, located across the Taiwan Strait, suspended ferry services from Tuesday.
The typhoon is forecast to weaken further, and could reach the southern tip of Taiwan on Wednesday. Most weather maps show it headed for Hong Kong and southern China, where it could arrive this week.
Taiwan’s meteorological office said it plans to issue a warning to shipping and possibly residents as the typhoon approaches.
Last month, Typhoon Doksuri ripped through the northern Philippines, displacing thousands of people, before making landfall and triggering deadly flooding in China.
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Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila contributed to this report.
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