Taiwan issues warning as Typhoon Usagi nears

TAIPEI -- Taiwan's meteorological agency issued a land warning on Thursday afternoon as Typhoon Usagi approaches the island, following its issuance of a sea warning in the morning.

At 6 pm Thursday, the center of the typhoon was located approximately 400 kilometers southeast of the island's southernmost point, moving in a northwesterly direction at 11 to 18 kilometers per hour, according to the agency. The maximum wind speed near its center was 155 kilometers per hour.

The land warning covers such areas as Pingtung and the Hengchun Peninsula in southern Taiwan.

The agency will continue to monitor the unpredictable path of Usagi closely, and advises the public to remain vigilant for updates on the typhoon's movements.

It predicted that rainfall will intensify on Friday, with the heaviest downpours expected in Hualien and Taitung in the east of Taiwan, as well as Pingtung in the south, from late Friday through early Saturday.

Multiple ferry services and flights have been suspended or canceled across Taiwan, and rail services in the mountainous Alishan area will be halted preemptively on Friday and Saturday.