The Central Weather Administration has lifted its land warning for Super Typhoon
Ragasa.

The weather administration is expected to lift its sea warning this evening
at the earliest.

However, schools and offices across all of Taitung and Hualien are closed
today due to the effects of the storm, while schools and offices in parts of
Pingtung and Kaohsiung are also closed today.

Ragasa is continuing to move in a westerly direction into the South China Sea.

However, rain advisories remain in effect for much of the island.

Extremely torrential rain warnings have been issued for mountainous areas of
Hualien and Taitung.

Torrential rain alerts are in effect for low-lying areas of Hualien and
Taitung as well as for mountainous areas of Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

While extremely heavy rain alerts are in effect for all of Yilan, lowlying
areas of Pingtung as well as for mountainous areas of New Taipei, Taoyuan,
Taichung and Nantou.

All of those rain advisories are currently expected to be be effect through
tonight.
 

Both land and sea warnings remain in effect for Typhoon Ragasa - as the storm
continues to move into the South China Sea.

The land warning now covers Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

However, schools and offices across all of Taitung and Hualien are closed
today due to the effects of the storm, while schools and offices in parts of
Pingtung and Kaohsiung are also closed today.

The Central Weather Administration is expected to lift the land warning this
morning at the earliest, while the sea warning could be lifted this evening
at the earliest.

Ragasa is currently located some 300-kilometers southwest of Eluanbi at the
island's southern most tip and moving in a westerly direction at roughly
20-kilometers-an-hour.

Rain advisories remain in effect for much of the island.

Both domestic and international flights are affected and passengers are being
advised to check with their airlines before heading to the airport.

The Maritime Port Bureau says 110 journeys on 12 ferry routes are suspended
today.

The Taiwan Railway Corporation has suspended some services this morning and
commuters are advised to check for the latest cancellations on the rail
network's website.

However, the Taiwan High Speed Rail has not announced any changes to its
regular services today.

The following areas in Taiwan have announced a suspension of work and classes
on Tuesday, September twenty-third, due to Super Typhoon Ragasca.

In Hualien and Taitung counties, all work and classes will be suspended for
the whole day.

While in Pingtung County ... the suspension will apply to Hengchun [恆春鎮],
Checheng [車城鄉], Manzhou [滿州鄉], Fangshan [枋山鄉], Sandimen [三地門鄉],
Wutai [霧臺鄉], Majia [瑪家鄉], Taiwu [泰武鄉], Laiyi [來義鄉], Chunri
[春日鄉], Shizi [獅子鄉], and Mudan townships [牡丹鄉].

In Kaohsiung City, work and classes will be suspended in Liugui [六龜區],
Jiaxian [甲仙區], Namaxia [那瑪夏區], Maolin [茂林區], and Taoyuan districts
[桃源區].

The Central Weather Administration said Ragasa has reached peak strength and
is expected to maintain intensity overnight as it passes through the Bashi
Channel before weakening in the South China Sea.

As of this evening, Ragasa’s center was about 270 kilometers south of
Eluanbi, packing sustained winds of 209 kilometers per hour and gusts up to
263 ... moving west-northwest at around 20 kilometers per hour.

Forecasters warn torrential rainfall will continue in the east overnight ....
with heavy downpours across eastern and southern Taiwan.

Forecasters add that the rain isn't expected to ease until Thursday.

Strong winds can be expected in coastal areas of the north, centre and south
... as well as in mountaineous areas of the east.

They say that if Ragasa stays on its current track, the land warning could be
lifted in the morning and the sea warning lifted by Tuesday evening.

There have been no reports of major damage or injuries due to the storm ...
though it has resulted in some relatively small-scale power cuts to
households in Taitung and Pingtung.

--------

It has also resulted in flight and ferry disruptions...

For instance, the Maritime and Port Bureau has announced that 110 ferry
services across 12 routes—will be suspended tomorrow.

Routes affected include Keelung to Matsu, Kaohsiung to Penghu, Budai (布袋)
to Penghu, Donggang and Yanpu to Xiaoliuqiu, Fugang to Green Island and
Orchid Island (蘭嶼), and Houbi (後壁) Lake to Orchid Island.

All sailings between Kinmen and ports in Mainland China's Fujian Province,
such as Wutong (石井) and Shijing (石井), will also be halted.

Authorities urge travelers to avoid island trips during the storm to prevent
being stranded.

Meanwhile, Kinmen’s port authority confirms that “Mini Three Links”
passenger services to Xiamen and Quanzhou will also stop for the entire day.

Passengers are advised to check schedules with ferry operators before travel.

Sea and land warnings for the storm remain in place ... though authorities
say the land warning could be lifted by tomorrow afternoon if the typhoon
continues on its projected path through the Bashi Channel towards South
China.

---------

While for flights....

Domestic carriers Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) announced that
several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon
Ragasa.

Some flight disruptions are expected over the next couple of days ... notably
with routes between Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Travelers are advised to stay up to date with their airlines.
 

No major damage or injuries are being reported in the South of Taiwan ...
even as the outer bands of Super Typhoon Ragasa are bringing bringing heavy
rain, strong winds, and powerful surf to there.

However, state-run TaiPower reports that over 600 households across Pingtung
and Taitung have lost power ...

And waves up to three and a half meters have been recorded in Kenting's
Nanwan Beach, while swells have slammed into Banana Bay.

The Central Weather Administration says Ragasa's storm radius first touched
the Hengchun Peninsula at around 11 AM...

According to the CWA, the storm is located at around 270 kilometers south of Eluanbi, with a radius of 320 kilometers.

The typhoon is packing sustained wind speeds of 210 kilometers per hour near
its centre, with gusts up to 263 kilometers per hour .... and is moving
west-northwest at about 20 kilometers per hour.

Forecasters warn the storm will bring its strongest winds and rainfall this
afternoon through tomorrow, especially across Taitung, Pingtung, Kaohsiung,
and the Hengchun Peninsula.

Meanwhile, off Green Island, residents spotted a waterspout spinning over the
sea this afternoon—an indication of Ragasa's intense convective activity.

Officials say if the typhoon stays on its projected track towards south
China, Taiwan's land warning could be lifted by tomorrow afternoon.

_____

The storm has been disrupting air travel in the region, with Taiwanese
carriers Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines announcing several international
flight cancellations or rechedulings due to the super typhoon.

Such flight disruptions are anticipated over the next couple of days,
especially air travel between Taiwan and Hong Kong or other areas in China's
south.

(IG)
 

Officials are issuing 62 yellow-level landslide alerts across the country, as
super typhoon Ragasa brings heavy rain to the east coast and outlying
islands.

Those warnings are in place in 21 villages across Taitung's Hai Duan 海端
Township, Hualien's Xiulin 秀林 township, and Pingtung's Lai Yi.

Authorities are urging local governments to issue evacuation advisories for
the affected areas.

Meanwhile, the typhoon has caused several international and domestic flight
cancellations, primarily to Japan and South Korea, departing from Taoyuan.

Airlines advise passengers to check their flight status before departing for
the airport.

(AH)

Super typhoon Ragasa is disrupting transport across the country today,
forcing flight cancellations, and suspending 88 ferry services on 13 routes.

UNI Airways and Mandarin Airlines announced that all services between the
main island of Taiwan and offshore islands after 12pm were cancelled...

while flights to Hualien and Taitung were suspended for the whole day.

Meanwhile Tiger Air and China Air have both suspended some international
flights.

Tiger Air announced today that they're suspending flights today from Taoyuan
to Da Nang, Vietnam; and Busan and Incheon, South Korea.

Meanwhile, the company is also canceling flights tomorrow to several airports
in Korea and Japan.

China Air says that they've canceled today's flights to Hong Kong, as well as
all flights out of Taoyuan between 5am and 12pm.

All four companies advise passengers to chceck their flight status online
before heading to the airport.

Otherwise, there are also 62 yellow-level landslide alerts in place across
Hualien, Taitung, and Pingtung.

(AH)

The Central Weather Administration says, Typhoon Ragasa is expected to be
affecting Taiwan most from the second half of today through tomorrow.

It will also come closest to Taiwan tomorrow, but a sea warning is expected
to be lifted as soon as tomorrow night.

As of 11am, the eye of the storm was located about 320 kilometers
south-southeast of Eluanbi.

Areas currently under land warnings including Taitung, Pingtung, and
Kaohsiung.

Experts say that several areas across Taiwan can expect heavy rain today,
including Orchid and Green Islands, Pingtung, Hualien, Taitung, and Yilan.

Meanwhile, localized rain is also likely in Greater Taipei as well as
mountainous parts of Taoyuan, Taichung, Nantou, and Kaohsiung.

(AH)

The Central Weather Administration says Typhoon Ragasa is continuing to move
closer to Eluanbi at the island's southern most tip - with the storm circle
now directly impacting the Hengchun Peninsula.

The is currently located some 320-kilometers south-southeast of Eluanbi and
moving in a westerly direction at 20-kilometers-an-hour.

The storm still has a radius of 320-kilometers and is packing sustained wind
speeds of 209-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 263-kilometers-an-hour.

A land warning remains in effect for Taitung, the Hengchun Peninsula,
Pingtung and Kaohsiung.

While the sea warnings cover the southern and northern Taiwan Strait, waters
off southeastern Taiwan, the Bashi Channel and the Dongsha Islands.

According to the weather administration's forecast center, Ragasa's impact
will be most significant today and tomorrow - with increasing rainfall across
eastern and southern part of the island.

Heavy rain is forecast through today for Hualien, Taitung, Yilan, Pingtung,
the Greater Taipei area, the Hengchun Peninsula as well as mountainous areas
in Taoyuan, Taichung, Nantou and Kaohsiung.

The heavy rain is expected to continue in the east, the Hengchun Peninsula,
Kaohsiung, Pingtung and mountainous areas across Taiwan tomorrow as the storm
enters the South China Sea.

Forecasters say Typhoon Ragasa's outer circle is expected to reach the
Hengchun Peninsula before noon today, as the storm continues to gain
strength.

The Central Weather Administration says the typhoon's outer bands are already
bringing rain to eastern Taiwan, and it expects the rainfall to increase in
that area, as well as Pingtung and Kaohsiung through this afternoon and into
tomorrow.

As of 9am, the storm is about 360 kilometers southeast of Eluanbi, moving in
a west-northwesterly direction, at speeds of about 20 kilometers per hour.

A land is in effect for Pingtung, Kaohsiung, Taitung and the Hengchun
Peninsula, while the sea warning covers the Bashi Channel, the southern
Taiwan Strait, and the seas southeast of Taiwan.

The CWA says strong winds may also occur in central and nothern Taiwan,
Kaohsiung, and eastern regions, and waves up to 10 meters or higher may occur
in waters near the typhoon's center.

(NS)

Taiwan Railway's "South Link Line" will close after noon today, due to rough
conditions caused by the approaching Typhoon Ragasa.

The Taiwan Railways Corporation says all trains on the South Link Line will
be suspended after 12pm, while all other lines will operate as usual.

The railway says it will announce more information about evening services
around 2pm today, and is advising travelers to check for the latest
information before they head out the door.

This comes as a land and sea warning remains in place for Typhoon Ragasa.

The storm is currently about 370 kilometers southeast of Eluanbi at the
island's southernmost tip, and is moving in a west-northwesterly direction at
a speed of 20 kilometers per hour.

It's packing wind speeds of 209 kilometers per hour, with gusts of up to 263
kilometers per hour.

Schools and offices in parts of Taitung, Hualien and Pingtung are closed
today.

The Central Weather Administration is predicting the storm will continue to
intensify and its strongest impact is expected from this evening through
early Wednesday, with southern Taiwan likely to face the strongest winds.

(NS)

Both land and sea warnings are now in effect for Typhoon Ragasa.

The land warning currently covers Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung.

While the sea warning covers waters southeast of Taiwan, the Bashi Channel
and the southern Taiwan Strait.

The Central Weather Administration is predicting the storm will continue to
intensify and its strongest impact is expected from this evening through
early Wednesday, with southern Taiwan likely to face the strongest winds.

Ragasa is currently located some 410-kilometers southeast of Eluanbi at the
island's southern most tip and moving in a westerly direction at speeds of
between 19 and 22-kilometers-an-hour.

The storm has a radius of 320-kilometers and is packing sustained wind speeds
of 209-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 263-kilometers-an-hour.

According to the weather administration's forecast center, the typhoon's
outer bands are now affecting the north and east and heavy showers can be
expected in Keelung, Yilan and Hualien.

The typhoon's outer circulation will bring rapid rainfall accumulation to
east parts of the island as well as mountainous areas of Kaohsiung and
Pingtung from this evening through early tomorrow.

While eastern parts of the island and the Hengchun Peninsula may still see
localized heavy rain on Wednesday, as the the storm moves further away from
Taiwan.