Tropical Storm Wipha disrupts flights between Taiwan, Hong Kong, China

Taipei, July 19 (CNA) Several weekend flights between Taiwan, Hong Kong and China have been either canceled or rescheduled due to Tropical Storm Wipha, according to three airlines.

While the severe tropical storm is moving away from Taiwan, the country remains under warnings for strong winds and heavy rains from Wipha's outer bands, as it continues to strengthen, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) indicated.

The CWA has forecast that the storm will draw close to Hong Kong early Sunday morning.

Amid those conditions and forecasts, China Airlines (CAL) on Saturday canceled its CI607 flight from Taoyuan International Airport to Hong Kong International Airport.

CAL also announced that all flights from Taoyuan and Kaohsiung bound for Hong Kong or Shenzhen Baoan International Airport in China on Sunday have been canceled. The Taiwanese airline also canceled flight CI922 from Hong Kong to Taoyuan on Monday.

Taiwan's other major carrier, EVA Airways, announced that all its flights on Saturday afternoon and Sunday from Kaohsiung to and from Hong Kong and Macau have been canceled.

All of EVA Air's flights on Sunday between Taoyuan and Hong Kong and Macau have also been canceled.

Starlux Airlines made a similar announcement, canceling all of its Taiwan-Hong Kong and Taiwan-Macau flights on Sunday.

They include flights JX233, 234, 235, and 236 between Taiwan and Hong Kong; JX201, 202, 205, and 206 between Taiwan and Macau; and flights JX331 and 332 between Taichung and Macau, the Taiwanese airline said.

Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific Airways said that all of its flights between Taiwan and Hong Kong that were scheduled to operate between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday will either be canceled or delayed.

As of 6 p.m. Saturday, Wipha had caused the cancellation of six international and 51 domestic flights, according to Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration.

Additionally, 114 ferry services were suspended on Saturday, while another 96 cancellations were expected on Sunday, due to the storm, Taiwan's Maritime Port Bureau said.