The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said people living in the Hengchun and Taitung areas should take precautions against strong winds and heavy rains today, when it issued a warning against Typhoon Melor at 8:30am yesterday.

Ships sailing in the Bashi Channel and the southern part of the Taiwan Strait, and on the seas near the Tungsha Islands and the southeastern coast of Taiwan, should also be cautious about strong winds, the bureau said.

Melor was located 220km south of Oluanpi at the southern tip of Taiwan, moving northwest at 10kph.

It threatens to hit the Hengchun and Taitung areas today.

The light typhoon could bring very heavy rains to the eastern part of Taiwan, the Hengchun area and the mountainous areas of northern Taiwan in the next three days, the CWB said, adding that people living in these areas should take precautions against landslides and floods.

The Government Information Office (GIO) said yesterday that people who are hiking, fishing, watching the waves or playing on the beaches are urged to go home as soon as possible.

The GIO also urged people living in low-laying and mountainous areas to take precautions against strong winds, landslides, mudslides and floods.

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