Taiwan closes schools, deploys troops as
typhoon nears
Published on Jul 12, 2013
11:21 AM
Fishing boats are docked in a harbour as Typhoon Soulik approaches the north-eastern coastal town of Nanfangao in Ilan
county on July 11, 2013. Taiwan is closing schools and deploying soldiers to help with evacuations on Friday as an
approaching typhoon threatens to bring strong winds and heavy rains to the island. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
TAIPEI (AP) - Taiwan is closing schools and deploying soldiers to help with evacuations on Friday as an
approaching typhoon threatens to bring strong winds and heavy rains to the island.
The Central Weather Bureau said Typhoon Soulik was at sea about 450 kilometres southeast of Yilan
county in north-eastern Taiwan. The typhoon weakened slightly overnight but is still packing winds of 173
kph.
The weather bureau forecast heavy rains starting around noon for northern Taiwan and torrential rains for
the south later in the day.
The government said schools and offices will be closed in the afternoon. Officials are readying water
pumps and sandbags to prevent flooding in low-lying areas, it said.
In Yilan, hundreds of soldiers, equipped with amphibious vehicles, have moved into mountainous areas to
help with necessary evacuations and rescues. Farmers are harvesting fruits and vegetables to reduce
damage.
Soulik is the first typhoon to hit Taiwan this year.
Taiwan, China prepare for season's first
typhoon
Published on Jul 12, 2013
2:19 PM
Military soldiers standby beside a AAV7 personal carrier at the Suao town in the east Ilan county as typhoon Soulik
approaches the northern Taiwan on July 12, 2013. Taiwan closed schools and deployed soldiers on Friday to help with
evacuations as an approaching typhoon threatened to bring strong winds and heavy rains to the island. -- PHOTO: AFP
TAIPEI (AP) - Taiwan closed schools and deployed soldiers on Friday to help with evacuations as an
approaching typhoon threatened to bring strong winds and heavy rains to the island.
China was also making preparations in advance of the arrival of Typhoon Soulik, the first of the year to hit
the region.
Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said at noon Soulik was at sea about 400 kilometres southeast of Yilan
county in northeastern Taiwan. The typhoon has winds of 173 kph.
Slight rain was falling in Taipei at midday. The weather bureau forecast heavy rains by afternoon for
northern Taiwan and torrential rains for the south of the island later Friday.
"At this point, we can't tell if the center of the storm will make landfall, but we can expect the fiercest of
winds tonight and early Saturday before it moves over to seas north of Taiwan ," said forecaster Chang
Ting-yi said.
Schools and offices were closing in the afternoon. Officials are readying water pumps and sandbags to
prevent flooding in low-lying areas, the government said.
In Yilan, hundreds of soldiers equipped with amphibious vehicles have moved into mountainous areas to
help with necessary evacuations and rescues. Farmers harvested fruits and vegetables to reduce damage.
Across the Taiwan Strait, the China Meteorological Administration said Soulik would make landfall in the
eastern coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian on Saturday before moving inland.
Local authorities were urged to suspend all maritime activities and cancel large-scale gatherings while
reinforcing port and seafood farming facilities to reduce the chances of damage
More than 200 dead or missing in China
after rain, landslides
Published on Jul 12, 2013
5:39 PM

A man holds buckets as he wades through floodwater along a street in Jintang county, Chengdu, Sichuan province on July 11,
2013. Torrential rain and landslides in China have left more than 200 people dead or missing in recent days, state media and
the government said as the country braced on Friday, July 12, 2013, for an approaching typhoon. -- FILE PHOTO:
REUTERS
BEIJING (AFP) - Torrential rain and landslides in China have left more than 200 people dead or missing
in recent days, state media and the government said as the country braced on Friday for an approaching
typhoon.
Landslides and floods in Sichuan province in the south-west had killed 31 people by Thursday, according
to data from the ministry of civil affairs, with 166 more missing. More than two million people had been
affected in the region, it added.
Another 13 people had died, with four missing, since Sunday in Yan'an in the north-west, where local
authorities warned of a high risk of flooding and landslides, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.
Official figures also showed deaths in several other parts of the country, from the central provinces of
Henan and Hubei to the northern region of Ningxia.
The government raised the flood alert status on the Yangtze river, warning of potential downpours and
windstorms in the waterway's middle and lower reaches on Saturday as Typhoon Soulik moves towards the
Chinese coast, reported news portal people.com.cn.
Severe Japan heatwave claims at least a
dozen lives: Reports
Published on Jul 12, 2013
5:59 PM
People wait at a crossing in a street during a scorching afternoon heat in Tokyo on Friday, July 12, 2013. A severe heatwave
that hit Japan a week ago has claimed at least a dozen lives, reports said on Friday. --PHOTO: AP
TOKYO (AFP) - A severe heatwave that hit Japan a week ago has claimed at least a dozen lives, reports
said on Friday.
The mercury has topped 35 deg C in areas right across the country for several days, with no immediate end
to the misery in sight, forecasters say.
Thousands of people have been taken to hospital suffering from heat stroke or exhaustion, with at least 12
of them dying, Jiji Press and other media reported.
Most of those affected are over 65, but there have also been groups of schoolchildren who were
participating in school activities outside.
One recent death was that of a 90-year-old man whose body was discovered by his son inside an apartment.
The air conditioner was turned off, Jiji said.
On Friday, the day's highest temperature was 38.3 deg C in Kawanehon town in Shizuoka prefecture.
More than 40 other spots recorded highs of 35 deg C or more, Japan's meteorological agency said.
News reports feature frequent reminders to drink plenty of fluids and avoid prolong periods outdoors, in
what has become a regular feature of Japan's sticky summer months.