Typhoon Malakas has swept past Taiwan, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to the north and east of the island.
As of noon on Saturday, the storm’s center was at sea110km off the coast of Yilan in the northeast. The Central Weather Bureau predicts that the storm will move north-northeast at 15km per hour. The bureau says that areas of north and northeast Taiwan can expect wind gusts of up to 32.6 meters per second on Saturday afternoon.
The storm has disrupted flights and some rail services. Taiwan’s Central News Agency reports that more than 2,600 people had been evacuated Saturday morning as the storm approached. The defense ministry says it has more than 25,000 troops on standby. The storm is not expected to clear Taiwan until early on Sunday.