A powerful typhoon that drenched the Philippines earlier this week is bearing down on Taiwan Friday, forcing the cancellation of flights and the closure of schools and offices.
Forecasters at Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau say that by late Friday afternoon local time, Typhoon Sepat was located about 220 kilometers southeast of coastal Taitung county, with gusts of wind up to 227 kilometers per hour.
Sepat is moving northwest at a speed of around 20 kilometers per hour. Forecasters expect it to begin plowing over the center of the island on Friday evening and then move on to lash China's southeastern coast on Saturday.
Earlier this week Typhoon Sepat exacerbated monsoon rains and flooded parts of the Philippine capital, Manila. No deaths were reported. Flooding continued in Manila Friday, forcing the closure of offices and schools.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
