Taiwan issues warning for Typhoon Malakas

TAIPEI -- Taiwan's meteorological agency issued land and sea warnings for Typhoon Malakas on Friday, which is likely to affect Hualien and Taitung counties on the eastern part of the island.

The typhoon saw winds of up to 180 km per hour as it moved toward the island on Friday, the agency said.

Forecasting strong winds and heavy rain, the agency said the typhoon would threaten much of the north and eastern parts of the island.

Typhoon Malakas comes hot on the heels of Typhoon Meranti, which left one person dead and more than 50 injured when it swept across the southern part of the island on Wednesday and Thursday.

Meranti, the most powerful typhoon this year, had left at least 137,000 homes on the island still without power as of 9:18 am Friday.

On Thursday, the agency lifted a land and sea warning for typhoon Meranti, which affected 13 counties and cities in southern and eastern parts of the island, including Kaohsiung, Taitung and Hualien.