Hualien, Kaohsiung order precautionary evacuations as storm approaches

Taipei, Oct. 30 (CNA) Hualien and Kaohsiung authorities ordered precautionary evacuations in locations within their jurisdiction Wednesday as Typhoon Kong-rey approaches Taiwan.

As of 3:40 p.m., 3,025 residents from 13 townships in locations prone to mudslides and rockslides had been evacuated and placed in 11 shelters or with relatives, with the largest number of 1,486 people coming from Siou-lin Township, according to figures compiled by Hualien County government.

In Kaohsiung, the city government opened a level-1 disaster prevention center, which carried out precautionary evacuations of residents in Taoyuan, Maolin, Namasia, Jiasian and Liouguei districts on Wednesday evening.

The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has already issued a sea and land warning for Typhoon Kong-rey, which was located about 340 kilometers southeast of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost tip, as of 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The storm is forecast to make landfall on the east coast of Taiwan between Thursday afternoon and evening, according to the CWA.

For more details on the current weather in Taiwan, please visit the Central Weather Administration website.