Taiwan issues typhoon warning as Krathon nears

TAIPEI, Sept. 30 -- Taiwan's meteorological agency issued a land warning early Monday morning as Typhoon Krathon approached the island, following a maritime warning on Sunday.

As of 9 am Monday, Krathon was centered about 220 km southeast of Taiwan's southernmost point, moving northwestward at approximately 9 km per hour, according to the agency.

The maximum wind speed near its center reached 162 km per hour, equivalent to a level-14 gale, with a storm radius of 200 km.

The land warning includes Taitung, Pingtung and the Hengchun Peninsula in southern and southeastern Taiwan.

A section of the coastal highway in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, was closed Monday morning due to landslides caused by heavy rainfall. Local train services were also suspended.