Sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa lifted; some ferries, flights canceled

Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) lifted its sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, as the storm moved away.

As of 8 p.m., the eye of Ragasa was located 510 kilometers west-southwest of Taiwan, moving westward at a speed of 16-22 kilometers per hour, according to CWA data. The typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 191 kph near its center, with gusts of up to 234 kph, the data showed.

Although Ragasa was moving away from Taiwan, it continued to pose a threat in the Taiwan Strait, the Bashi Channel, and the waters around Dongsha Island, the CWA said.

● 2 dead, 3 missing after barrier lake overflow in Hualien

● Hualien township swamped by flooding from lake; vehicles swept away

In addition, the outer bands of the storm were still affecting parts of eastern Taiwan, with Hualien, Taitung, and Pingtung counties under heavy rain alerts, CWA forecaster Lin Po-tung (林伯東) said.

The heavy rains are expected to continue through Tuesday night before easing Wednesday morning, Lin said.

As of 8 p.m., Tianxiang Village in Hualien had recorded over 746 millimeters of rainfall, followed by Xiangyang in Taitung County with 635.5 mm, Cuifeng Lake in Yilan County with 585.5 mm, and Taiwu Township in Pingtung with 570 mm, according to CWA data.

In the wake of Typhoon Ragasa, southeasterly winds are forecast to affect Taiwan on Wednesday, bringing showers or thunderstorms to eastern regions and the Hengchun Peninsula in the south, and afternoon thunderstorms in western areas, Lin added.

Earlier in the day, the Maritime and Port Bureau (MPB) announced that 70 ferry services on nine routes will be suspended on Wednesday.

They include the Keelung-Matsu, Kinmen-Shijing (Quanzhou), Kaohsiung-Magong, Jiangjun (Tainan)-Penghu Dongji Island, Donggang-Xiaoliuqiu, and Yanpu-Xiaoliuqiu routes.

In addition, services between Fugang and Lanyu, as well as Houbi Lake and Lanyu, will also be suspended, the MPB said.

Meanwhile, Taoyuan International Airport Corp. has announced that 119 international flights out of Taiwan, including 91 to Hong Kong and Macau, will be canceled on Wednesday.

Travelers are reminded that flight schedules may change frequently on Tuesday and Wednesday, especially for those heading to Hong Kong and Macau, the company said. Travelers are also advised to monitor the latest flight information on the Taoyuan Airport website or mobile app, it said.