Southern Taiwan braces for Super Typhoon Meranti

[lovuian]

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=2979882

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kaohsiung City and the counties of Taitung, Pingtung and Penghu were the first to announce offices and schools would be closed on Wednesday as Typhoon Meranti was expected to slam Southern Taiwan.
The storm, which was still 320 kilometers east-southeast from the island around 7 p.m. Tuesday, was expected to move further west and pass close by the Hengchun Peninsula, Taiwan’s most southerly region, before heading out into the Taiwan Strait Wednesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/12/asia/typhoon-meranti-weather/index.html

A combination of very warm western Pacific ocean waters and weak upper level winds have allowed Meranti (pronounced me-run-ti) to undergo what meteorologists call "rapid intensification." It went from 85 mph (140 kph) on Sunday to a sustained 180 mph (285 kph) on Monday afternoon.

Rapid intensification presents great challenges to forecasters and disaster management officials, as it can quickly up the ante when it comes to expected impacts from tropical cyclones.

If the forecast holds, and Super Typhoon Meranti makes landfall with winds of 155 mph (250 kph), it would be the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan since Super Typhoon Bilis in 2000

I have friends who live in Taiwan this looks scary