Taiwan was bracing itself on Thursday afternoon for the arrival of Super Typhoon Nepartak, the first large tropical storm of the year to hit the island.
As of 4pm local time on Thursday, Nepartak was 300 kilometers southeast of Hualien on Taiwan’s eastern coast and moving in a northwesterly direction. The storm is carrying sustained winds of 200 kilometers per hour with gusts of 55 meters per second. It is expected to make landfall on Taiwan at around 3am on Friday morning.
The official news agency CNA says military and government authorities are readying themselves for potential disaster response with close to 35,000 service personnel placed on standby.
Meanwhile, National Fire Agency officials have said 7,000 of their personnel and 16 helicopters are standing by for rescue missions if needed.