CHINA / Taiwan, HK, Macao

Kaemi heads for southern mainland after raking Taiwan
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-07-25 11:49

Kaemi, the fifth typhoon this year, is churning across north Taiwan Strait and barreling northwest towards southern Chinese mainland after raking Taiwan with heavy rains and strong winds.

Taiwan-based media reported Kaemi, meaning "ant" in Korean, made landfall at 11: 45 p.m. on Monday at Taitung and left the island at 4:05 a.m. on Tuesday at Dongshih Township of Chiayi County.

The Taiwan weather bureau said the central point of Kaemi was at about 40 kilometers southeast of Penghu at 5:30 Tuesday morning. With a storm radius of around 200 kilometers, the typhoon is moving at a speed of 17 kph.

Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung had all experienced more than 200 mm of accumulative rainfall from zero hour to 5: 30 a.m. and the rain is continuing.

Kaemi caused power cut in more than 10,000 households in Taitung and 4,659 households in Fulih Township of Hualian County.