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TAIPEI: Taiwan's weather bureau on Thursday urged residents to take precautions as the first major typhoon of the season gained strength and churned towards the island.
Typhoon Morakot, which means "emerald" in Thai, is expected to bring powerful winds and torrential rains over the weekend if it keeps its current course, the bureau said.
At 8:30 am (0030 GMT), the typhoon was 660 kilometres (409 miles) east-southeast of the northern Ilan county, moving west at 20 kilometres per hour and packing gusts of 137 kilometres per hour.
Taiwan is typically hit by a dozen or so typhoons in the summer which help replenish its water supply. The island's authorities are hoping Morakot will bring sufficient rains to help avert an imminent drought.
Tropical storm Linfa grazed the island in June and left four people injured.
- AFP/yb
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