China and Taiwan are preparing for Super Typhoon Doksuri

by Ryan Woo and Yimou Li

BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) – China has ordered trawlers to dock and farmers to speed up harvesting as Taiwan suspended military drills as Super Typhoon Doksuri neared land.

Doxuri, about 1,000 km in diameter, is expected to hit sparsely populated islands in the northern Philippines by mid-week as winds and heavy rain are expected in northern Taiwan.

Philippine authorities have issued wind warnings in the capital region and a dozen provinces, and some people have already been evacuated.

The Chinese Meteorological Center said on Tuesday that Doxuri and its gusts, which have already reached 223 km/h, will hit mainland China between Fujian and Guangdong provinces on Friday.

After this the intensity of the super typhoon will decrease but the damage can be considerable, especially in the populated Chinese cities.

Fujian province has ordered trawlers to shelter at the nearest port by Wednesday afternoon and farmers to harvest ripe grain.

The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs warned that the storm could penetrate far into Chinese lands and affect rice and corn crops in some rural areas.

Taiwan canceled annual military drills on Tuesday for security reasons and officials have already announced that Doksuri could be one of the most destructive typhoons in four years.

Taipei has issued an alert and urged people on the coast to be prepared for torrential rain and strong winds.

Taiwanese Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen said, “Taiwan has not experienced a typhoon for more than 1,400 days, so I urge all government departments to prepare.”

(Reporting by Riwan Wu in Beijing, Yimou Li in Taipei and Karen Lemma in Manila; French version by Zhifan Liu, Editing by Tangi Salon)