I went shopping AND did my laundry last night. I have a hard drive full of movies I can watch. BRING IT ON. (please work get cancelled tomorrow…please work get cancelled tomorrow…) 
Guys, do take care: no beach trips, no mountain hiking. According to the CWB, there is quite a potential for flooding in Taipei, due to the trajectory. It hinders the normal outflow of water into the rivers and then to sea, so water accumulates at the plains, hence increasing the chances of flooding. Winds are also expected to be substantially stronger.
The center moves roughly westward at about 20km/h. You could outrun it on your bicycle… 
The center moves roughly westward at about 20km/h. You could outrun it on your bicycle… [/quote]
Hopefully those expats running around Taiwan can outrun it. It might actually prove to be really good motivation…
Which day is this thing gunna hit on?
The wind is picking up in Ishigaki (35-40 km/h at this time), and clouds are moving in - we’re in reach of the beast now.
usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/R … 32sams.jpg
“Hit” is not the right word, really - and where are you located?
Assuming you are in Taipei, you might be able to notice the typhoon’s coming tonight but if not,you should notice it for sure when you get up tomorrow morning. By tomorrow evening (at that time the center would pass near my island) the weather should be quite windy in Taipei, and overnight it should get outright nasty. The center (eye) should pass over or near you (abeam) in the early morning of Saturday (all that assuming the typhoon stays “on course”). After that it will still take a few days before you have “normal weather” again…
Just cleaned the accumulated winter’s detritus from my balcony. Good idea to do so, otherwise the drain could easily clog and water can run into the house.
I just came home from the store. Basic stuffs to keep in my pantry and home: good and spicy dry beef noodle bowls, some candles, popcorns, drinks, chocolate and cookies, some salad ingredients and a good book. Now I’m ok.
I’m not stocking up. I like to live dangerously.
THANK YOU! I knew I was forgetting something!
Inquiry: imagine there are no satellites. No modern technology. Taipei today is lovely - is there something in the weather that “tells us” this typhoon is coming? Five hundred years ago, could people see/hear/smell/feel something that told them bad weather was coming? Or were the typhoons giant surprises?
Yeah, you can tell a typhoon is coming from the sky, weird warm dry wind, general feel to the air. I can sense it and most people who have been here a few years can. We did a test once at work with someone who had been here a couple years. We asked what she thought of the sky and air today? Feels like a typhoon is coming she said. Bingo.
Also me knee hurts. 
You’re just getting old 
You’re just getting old [/quote]
Yeah, but the advantages in being able to predict weather more than compensate.
thats bout the ONLY thing you can predict though 
sadly.
Well, my political prognostications are pretty dismal but I get a few others things right.
Are the county gov’ts still in ultra conservative mode after last years late work cancellations/fiascos? I know that the official call is supposed to be the night before but I’m already hearing rumors that Kaohsiung is getting a typhoon day tomorrow. This is a big typhoon but that seems a bit excessive.
And it is supposed to hit worse up North…
Calling off all Friday tonight seems excessive, especially for Kaohsiung which doesn’t look as if it’ll be hard hit. Current predictions are that the eye will come through Taipei Saturday morning, so Friday afternoon is about the earliest you’d see the action start.
[quote]How do you know if offices and schools are closed due to a typhoon?
Official English site: typhoon.dgpa.gov.tw/ndse.html
Official Chinese site: typhoon.dgpa.gov.tw/
My unofficial English site: typhoon.jameslick.com/
Taiwanease.com’s unofficial English site: taiwanease.com/typhoon
Bookmark these addresses now so that you will be prepared! (Please note that these sites are only active when closure announcements are in effect.)[/quote]