Typhoon Aere sweeps toward Taiwan; rough seas kill seven

Posted: Tuesday, August 24, 2004

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- Typhoon Aere churned toward crowded northern Taiwan on Tuesday with 99 mph wind gusts, closing schools and financial markets and dumping heavy rains that threatened to trigger flash floods and landslides. Rough seas killed five fishermen in Taiwan and two children in Japan, officials said.

Aere's eye was expected to sweep over Taipei later Tuesday as the storm roars west toward China, the Central Weather Bureau said. The typhoon also was expected to whirl over the busy port of Keelung and Hsinchu, home to the island's world-leading computer chip manufacturers.

The outer reaches of Aere, which means "storm" in the language spoken on the Marshall Islands, began lashing Taiwan on Tuesday morning. Gusty winds and sheets of rain hit the capital as officials closed school, government offices and financial markets.

Officials warned that flights from Taipei's international airport could be suspended later Tuesday, when the storm's 80 mph winds reach land.

High waves capsized a fishing boat from Hong Kong on Monday as the vessel sailed toward Keelung, the coast guard said. Three fishermen -- all from mainland China -- were washed overboard. The captain, who was from Hong Kong, was rescued but died at a hospital, officials said. A fishermen also died Sunday.

Japanese coast guard officials said Tuesday that high waves swept away two children -- ages 12 and 7 -- swimming near Japan's southern Amami-Oshima islands.

Forecasters warned of a "double-typhoon effect" if Aere spun close to super typhoon Chaba, which was north of Guam.

Chaba could cause Aere to slow and linger over Taiwan, dumping large amounts of rain that could trigger deadly landslides and flash flooding, the Central Weather Bureau said.

Aere was 160 miles east of Taiwan early Tuesday, the weather bureau said. The storm's gusts were hitting 99 mph as it lumbered along at 6 mph.

Slow-moving typhoons cause some of the worst damage because they linger over land, dumping heavy rains. Flash flooding has been known to carry away villages, and landslides have carried expensive apartment buildings down mountain slopes.

Typhoons and tropical storms frequently hit Taiwan, an island of 23 million. Last month, typhoon Mindulle killed 29.