Flights, trains, ferry services in Taiwan affected by Typhoon Usagi

Taipei, Nov. 14 (CNA) Taiwanese airlines, as well as train and ferry operators, will cancel services on Friday and Saturday, due to the approaching Typhoon Usagi, which is expected have the strongest impact on Taiwan on those two days.

On Thursday, Mandarin Airlines and UNI Air announced the cancellation of some flights between Taipei Songshan Airport and Taitung Airport in southeastern Taiwan on Friday, when the typhoon is forecast to make landfall in the southern county of Pingtung early Saturday.

On Friday, Mandarin Airlines flights AE-395 and AE-396 will be canceled, as will UNI Air's flights B7-8727, B7-8728, B7-8729 and B7-8730.

Meanwhile, the Pingtung County government announced Thursday that ferries operated by five companies to and from Liuqiu Islet will be suspended with effect noon Friday, as the county is included in the land warning issued for Usagi at 5:30 p.m. by the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Taiwan Railway Corp. also said that its "Breezy Blue" sightseeing services 5899 and 5898, which usually run between Taitung and Pingtung's Fangliao stations, will be suspended on Friday.

A packaged train tour in eastern Taiwan on Nov. 17 has been postponed to Nov. 24, according to the train operator.

Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office have also announced the suspension of all services on Friday and Saturday in Chiayi.

However, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. said its bullet train services between Taipei and Kaohsiung will operate as usual on Friday.

According to the CWA, most areas in Taiwan will be impacted by Typhoon Usagi Friday, as the storm circle is forecast to brush Pingtung and the rest of the Hengchun Peninsula around noon that day.

As Usagi approaches, coastal areas in the eastern and southwestern parts of Taiwan can expect waves of up to 3-meters on Friday, while torrential rain is expected in Taitung and the Hengchun Peninsula, the CWA said, forecasting rainfall of 100 millimeters in three hours or 200 millimeters in 24 hours.

The CWA also warned of gale-force winds of 62-88 kilometers per hour in the coastal areas of northern Taiwan, on the Hengchun Peninsula, the Matsu Islands, and Taitung's Green and Orchid islands Friday morning.

As of 9 p.m. Thursday, Typhoon Usagi was located 350 kilometers south of Taiwan, and was moving north north-northwest at 11 kph, packing maximum sustained winds of 144 kph with gusts of up to 180 kph.

The storm made landfall in Philippines earlier in the day, after which it weakened somewhat and slowed down, but it still had a radius of about 150 km, the CWA said.