Taiwan, China batten down hatches as super typhoon approaches
Taiwan and China began battening down the hatches on July 7 ahead of the arrival of super Typhoon Nepartak, the first of the year, with fears in China that storm could worsen already severe flooding in the east of the country.
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Waves crash at the coast as Typhoon Nepartak approaches in Yilan, Taiwan July 7, 2016.
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The typhoon is expected to make landfall on Taiwan's mountainous but sparsely populated east coast in the early hours of July 8, where it will loose much of its strength, before crossing over the Taiwan Strait and hitting China on July 9.
The typhoon has been labeled a category 5 storm on a scale of 1 to 5 by Tropical Storm Risk making it a super typhoon but it should weaken to a tropical storm by the time it reaches China.
In Taiwan, authorities announced financial markets would be shut on July 7 as cities across the island, including Taipei, announced work and school closures. Airlines began cancelling flights and the bullet train service was suspended.
The island's weather authorities estimated wind speeds near Nepartak's center were at least 200 kph (124 mph).
Widespread flooding across central and southern China over the past week has killed about 130 people, damaged more than 1.9 million hectares of crops and led to direct economic losses of more than 38 billion yuan (US$5.70 billion).
The city of Wuhan on the Yangtze River, home to 10 million people, has been particularly badly affected, with flooded subway lines and power cuts.
The typhoon is expected to push more rain into already flooded areas in and around Wuhan, the Xinhua news agency said.
