Taiwan, China prepare for season's 1st typhoon

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan closed schools and deployed soldiers Friday to help with evacuations as an approaching typhoon threatened to bring strong winds and heavy rains to the island.

China was also making preparations in advance of the arrival of Typhoon Soulik, the first of the year to hit the region.

Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said at noon Soulik was at sea about 400 kilometers (252 miles) southeast of Yilan county in northeastern Taiwan. The typhoon has winds of 173 kph (107 mph).

Slight rain was falling in Taipei at midday. The weather bureau forecast heavy rains by afternoon for northern Taiwan and torrential rains for the south of the island later Friday.

"At this point, we can't tell if the center of the storm will make landfall, but we can expect the fiercest of winds tonight and early Saturday before it moves over to seas north of Taiwan ," said forecaster Chang Ting-yi said.

Schools and offices were closing in the afternoon. Officials are readying water pumps and sandbags to prevent flooding in low-lying areas, the government said.

In Yilan, hundreds of soldiers equipped with amphibious vehicles have moved into mountainous areas to help with necessary evacuations and rescues. Farmers harvested fruits and vegetables to reduce damage.

Across the Taiwan Strait, the China Meteorological Administration said Soulik would make landfall in the eastern coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian on Saturday before moving inland.

Local authorities were urged to suspend all maritime activities and cancel large-scale gatherings while reinforcing port and seafood farming facilities to reduce the chances of damage.