Northern Taiwan cities declare business as usual Monday despite storm

Taipei, July 6 (CNA) Poor weather due to Typhoon Danas led local governments in southern and central Taiwan to announce school and workplace suspensions for Monday, but most cities in northern Taiwan will remain open as usual.

The city governments of Taipei, New Taipei and Keelung all separately announced Sunday evening that schools and workplaces will remain open Monday, according to the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration (DGPA).

Most of the city of Taoyuan will also be business-as-usual, though Luzhu District, Dayuan District, Xinwu District and Guanyin District will face school and work closures, the DGPA said.

On the other hand, schools and workplaces in Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Taichung, Changhua County, Yunlin County, Nantou County, Chiayi City, Chiayi County, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung County and Penghu County will be closed Monday, the agency said.

Taiwan's outlying Lienchiang County (the Matsu islands) and Kinmen County, as well as Yilan County, Hualien County and Taitung County on the eastern half of the main island, will also be open as usual, the the DGPA reported.

Under national regulations, local governments may cancel work and school if a typhoon's periphery is expected to pass the area within four hours and bring average wind speeds of level 7 or higher, or gusts of level 10 or higher.

In general, cancellations are also permitted if 24-hour rainfall is forecast to exceed 200 millimeters in mountainous areas and 350 millimeters in non-mountainous areas, with disaster impacts already observed or anticipated.

As of 4 p.m. Sunday, rainfall in the mountains of Miaoli County, Taichung, Nantou County, Yunlin County, Chiayi County, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County had exceeded 200 millimeters, the CWA said.

Meanwhile, more than 300 millimeters of rainfall was forecast in non-mountainous areas of Miaoli County, Taichung, Changhua County, Nantou County, Yunlin County, Chiayi City, Chiayi County, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County.

The decision whether to cancel work and school is made by each local government, based on official forecasts and observed conditions.