TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Rogue waves have claimed six lives over the course of two days on the beaches of northeastern Taiwan's Yilan County as Typhoon Jebi, the strongest storm observed the planet so far this year, churns in the western Pacific Ocean.

At total of eight people were swept away and six have lost their lives after a series of rogue waves struck on Sunday and Monday at Mystery Beach and Lover's Bay, also known as Neipi Bay.

Sunday

Three separate deadly incidents involving rogue waves were reported in Yilan County's Mystery Beach in Nan'ao and Neipei Beach on Sunday.

On Nan'ao's Mystery Beach in Yilan County, a 52-year-old man surnamed Chou and his wife surnamed Liu, 50, were riding an ATV along with the 52-year-old ATV rental owner surnamed Ho, who was riding another ATV. Suddenly, they along with their vehicles were washed out to sea by a rogue wave that was estimated to be over 3 meters in height at 3:06 p.m., reported TVBS.

Rescuers said a Coast Guard Administration boat carried a male body to Nansing Inspection Office in Nan'ao at 6:36 p.m., and the body was confirmed to be Chou by his family, the report said. However, Ho is still missing, according to the report.

Later that day, also on Mystery Beach, a 40-year-old woman surnamed Wei (魏) and her 10-year-old son surnamed Lee (李) were riding on all-terrain vehicle (ATV) with friends when a massive rogue wave suddenly crashed into them and sucked them into the ocean, never to be seen again alive.

At 5:41 a.m. yesterday (Sept. 3), search and rescue personnel found the body of Wei about 1.6 nautical miles from Nan'ao's Mystery Beach. Four hours later, not far from the beach, the body of Lee was recovered as well.

On Neipi beach in Su'ao, an eight-year-old girl, who was enjoying the beach with her family and friends, was suddenly swept out to sea by a rogue wave and a male passerby surnamed Wu (吳) jumped in the water to try to save her. The girl was washed ashore and survived, however, the man drowned, and paramedics were unable to revive him.

Monday

Another victim lost their life on the county's shores yesterday. The Yilan County Fire Department received a report on Monday morning around 11:15 a.m. that a middle-aged woman, had been walking along the shore of Yilan’s Suao (蘇澳) township along the Neipi Beach (內埤海灘) and was swept away by a wave.

A search and rescue unit responded immediately, however the woman showed no signs of life when brought ashore. According to reports, the search and rescue operation was completed by noon, and the woman was rushed to the nearby Suao Branch of the Taipei Veteran’s Hospital, reports CNA.

Apple Daily reports that the woman was pronounced dead at 12:51 by doctors at the hospital.

Chia Hsin-hsing (賈新興), a supervisor of Weather Risk, said on his Facebook page that there are four types of situations when rogue waves are likely in the area, including: in the winter when the northeast monsoon is strong, in the summer when the southwest monsoon is strong, when typhoons are churning in the outer ocean, and at high tide during the lunar new year festival period, especially if there are monsoons or typhoons.</s>Japan is in the direct path of the raging typhoon Jebi, currently threatening extreme winds and rain in the Pacific Ocean. The 2018 hurricane season is in full force and Japan isn’t the only country under threat. Hawaii has only recently been released from the grips of hurricane Lane, which released more than 50 inches (1,000mm) of rain onto the island chain, and dropped trees into the road. Now, Japan is bracing for extreme winds and buckets of rain as the full force of super typhoon Jebi descends on the country.

As typhoon Jebi prepares to set down on Japan, authorities are warning of extreme impact over much of the country's main islands. At the moment, Jebi has downgraded from a category 5, the top of the Saffir-Simpson scale for storms, from a peak of winds topping 175mph. Unbridled conditions like this hitting land would have been catastrophic, as the scale warns a high percentage of even well built homes could be flattened as the storm advances, and effected areas are set to be uninhabited for months. Jebi is expected to downgrade as it approaches land, climbing down from the category 5 towards a category 2 or 3, but this is still highly dangerous.

As a category 2 or 3 system, Jebi will be spinning with minimum speeds of 96mph towards 129mph, and will be enough to cause “extremely dangerous winds” at its weakest. At its strongest, Jebi is expected to cause devastating damage as it hits Japan, emptying a predicted 5–10 inches of rain, with localised totals pushing 20 inches. The Saffir Simpson scale states that if a category 3 storm was to touch down, the results would be many trees being uprooted and cast into the street or homes, and electricity and water will be unavailable for days. At the moment, typhoon Jebi is whirling off the coast of Japan with 123mph winds, sitting 403 miles west of volcanic islands Iwo To. Jebi is projected to hit Japan early next week, making landfall by Tuesday local time, and residents are already being evacuated.

How will Japan prepare for super typhoon Jebi? Super typhoon Jebi is destined to hit the populous island of Honshu, Japan’s biggest. Honshu is home to Japan’s major cities, including Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto, raising the potential of serious devastating damage to the area. The island is already preparing for the storm to hit, and the Japanese government has ordered evacuations for 20,000 residents from Tokyo before landfall on Tuesday. Japan is regularly at the mercy of typhoon-force storms, and has other preparations as the storm bears down.</s>TOKYO (AFP) - Japan on Sunday (Sept 2) braced for a "very strong" typhoon, with authorities warning of high waves, floods and landslides, including in areas hit by deadly flooding earlier this year.

Typhoon Jebi, packing winds of up to 252 kilometres an hour, is expected to make landfall on the country's main island on Tuesday, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency.

"Maintaining its very strong power, the typhoon is forecast to approach western and eastern Japan," the agency said.

The path of the typhoon appeared to cover the western Chugoku region, where record rainfall in July unleashed flooding and landslides, killing around 220 people in Japan's worst weather-related disaster in decades.

Local media said the typhoon, which is still hundreds of kilometres away from Japan in the Pacific, could be the strongest storm to hit the nation this year.

The meteorological agency urged residents in western and eastern Japan to prepare for high seas, landslides and floods.

The storm comes as some 27,000 people in Nagato in western Japan were temporarily ordered to evacuate their homes on Saturday due to torrential rain.

Japan is now in typhoon season, and is regularly struck by major storm systems during the summer and autumn.

Jebi is to follow Typhoon Cimaron, which made landfall on August 23 disrupting transport links, but injuries and damages were limited.

Jebi is the latest weather front to batter Japan, which has also been sweating through a record and deadly heatwave.</s>Japan is bracing for a “very strong” typhoon, with authorities warning of high waves, floods and landslides, including in areas hit by deadly flooding earlier this year.

Typhoon Jebi, which at one stage was packing winds of up to 252kmph, has become the strongest tropical system so far this year.

The storm is expected to make landfall on the country’s main island on Tuesday, according to Japan’s Meteorological Agency.

“Maintaining its very strong power, the typhoon is forecast to approach Honshu,” the agency said.

The path of the typhoon appeared to cover the western Chugoku region, where record rainfall in July unleashed flooding and landslides, killing around 220 people in Japan’s worst weather-related disaster in decades.

Local media said the typhoon, which is still hundreds of kilometres away from Japan in the Pacific Ocean, is likely to become the strongest storm to hit the nation this year, despite the fact that it is now weakening.

By the time the typhoon makes landfall, it’s sustained winds are forecast to be around winds are 170kmph with gusts nearer to 200kmph.

The meteorological agency urged residents in Kyushu and southern Honshu to prepare for high seas, landslides and floods.

The storm comes as around 27,000 people in Nagato in western Japan were ordered to evacuate their homes on Saturday due to torrential rain.

Japan is now in typhoon season, and is regularly struck by major storm systems during the summer and autumn.

Jebi follows Typhoon Cimaron, which made landfall on August 23, disrupting transport links, but injuries and damages were limited. However, the ground remains saturated and many parts of Honshu remain flooded.

It has been a summer of note for Japan, which has also been sweltering through a record and deadly heatwave.</s>TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan braced on Monday for the arrival of strong typhoon Jebi as the storm churned north towards the islands, the latest in a series of harsh weather events to strike Japan this summer, meteorologists said.

Jebi - which means "swallow" in Korean - strengthened to super-typhoon status last week but weakened as it moved north and will likely be a Category 2 or 1 typhoon when it hits Japan on Tuesday, probably near the second-largest city of Osaka in western Japan.

Parts of western Japan are likely to see up to 300 mm (11 inches) of rain in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said, with wind gusts of up to 216 km/h (134 mph) once the storm makes landfall.

Jebi`s predicted course could bring it close to parts of western Japan hit by deadly rains and flooding that killed more than 200 people in July. However, it is set to speed up once it makes landfall, minimising the amount of rain that will fall in one place.

Japan has been hit by extreme weather since the beginning of July that included record-breaking heat as well as devastating floods and landslides. Typhoon Cimarron sliced across western Japan less than two weeks ago, dumping heavy rain before heading out to sea.</s>Japan is bracing for a “very strong” typhoon, with authorities warning of high waves, floods and landslides, including in areas hit by deadly flooding earlier this year.Typhoon Jebi, which at one stage was packing...Read more via TODAY.NG – https://ift.tt/2Cbw8gB Get more World News</s>I first visited Taiwan in the 1970s as a young officer serving in an American destroyer assigned to the Pacific Fleet. A small, dynamic nation at the northern edge of the strategically crucial South China Sea, the Republic of China (as Taiwan prefers to be known) was locked in a Cold War duel of geopolitics with its vastly larger cousin across the Taiwan Strait, the People’s Republic of China.

I returned to Taiwan recently for meetings with senior officials — President Tsai Ing-wen, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and the national security advisor, David Lee — and enjoyed seeing the extraordinary progress.

At the time of my first visit, I had my doubts about how long the Taiwanese could hold out against the mainland Chinese. But I came away with a deep respect for the courage, ingenuity and independent spirit of Taiwan.

Now, five decades along, Taiwan continues to seek a balance between an aggressive posture that could provoke Chinese military action and simply capitulating and taking a Hong Kong-style deal for incorporation with China but retaining some semblance of autonomy. It is an increasingly difficult balance to strike.

Taiwan is a vibrant nation of 23 million people and a GDP of more than half a trillion dollars, edging toward the top 20 economies in the world. The Taiwanese produce advanced electronics, are on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence research, have dynamic maritime and aviation entities, and boast a capable military that is in the process of shifting to an all-volunteer force.

The United States continues to support Taiwan diplomatically, although formally adhering to the “One China” policy demanded by the People’s Republic — meaning that any nation desiring to do business with mainland China cannot have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. With the recent unfortunate defection of El Salvador, only 17 nations and the Holy See have formal diplomatic relations; although many — including the U.S. — have informal arrangements that are an effective substitute.

Beijing has been taking a wait-and-see approach to Taiwanese independence. While the Chinese could attempt to militarily force a merger, they would prefer a nonviolent outcome. So long as Taiwan does not overtly declare independence, and other major actors (particularly the U.S.) follow the One China policy, Beijing has been generally content to “let time do the work for them.”

But lately, there are increasing indications that China is less willing to wait: Its military has been operating around the sea and air approaches to the island; it has been putting very direct pressure on the nations that still recognize Taiwan to shift (especially in Latin America and the Caribbean); and it is increasing economic pressure on the Taiwanese. This fits with the more nationalistic style of President Xi Jinping and with Chinese ambitions to control the South China Sea.

What is the best U.S. strategy for dealing with this contentious issue?

First, Washington must recognize that support for Taiwan is not a bargaining chip to be put on the table to obtain better outcomes with mainland China. The U.S. has significant disputes with the People’s Republic over trade imbalances, cyberintrusions, intellectual property theft, North Korean bad behavior and Beijing’s territorial claims over the South China Sea. It is certainly tempting for the U.S. to use Taiwan as leverage in dealing with those issues, e.g. telling China to modulate its positions favorably for the U.S. in return for lessened U.S. support to the island. When he was president-elect, Donald Trump mused about doing exactly that, and as the trade dispute heats up, that temptation will grow.

That would be a significant mistake.

Taiwan has been a steadfast supporter of the U.S. for decades, and continues to perform as a staunch ally in a very turbulent and vital geopolitical arena. A betrayal of trust would have a ripple effect globally, further degrading U.S. credibility as an ally. It also misreads Beijing’s intent and attitude — China has no interest in a deal involving Taiwan. The claim to the island is the ultimate red line in its foreign policy, and it is especially true that a nationalist government like Xi’s will not be part of a negotiation involving Taiwan’s status.

The Trump administration must come to understand the overarching importance China places on eventually incorporating Taiwan into its governance structure, and display sophistication and strategic patience with the situation.

This means following the approach to Taiwan that has been in place for decades with bipartisan support: helping Taiwan militarily with sensible levels of advanced military sales following the mandate of the Taiwan Relations Act; providing political support internationally, such as helping Taiwan participate in international organizations even though it is not universally recognized as a sovereign state; and encouraging robust economic exchanges between the two nations.

Good examples of this are the recent sale of $1.4 billion in advanced military hardware that was announced in 2017, and allowing high-level official visits between the Taiwan and the U.S. as permitted under the Taiwan Travel Act, which was passed this spring.

The U.S. should also encourage allies, partners and friends in the Indo-Pacific region to engage with Taiwan. Having better economic ties, and perhaps joint military training, between Taiwan and India, Japan and especially the nations around the littoral of the South China Sea would help maintain a balance between the People’s Republic and Taiwan. So long as China sees that Taiwan has robust relations in the region it is unlikely to do anything precipitous that could provoke a confrontation.

During my recent visit, which was sponsored by both a U.S. and a Taiwanese think tank, I met with many senior officials from the government, military and private sector. The general tone is that Taiwan wants to stay cautious, balanced and sensible in its approach, and is clearly looking for peaceful outcomes. I heard from Taiwanese leaders that they don’t want to fight China, and they value a status quo that provides them the benefits of democracy and free markets. But they are nervous as they see China ratcheting up pressure militarily, diplomatically and economically.

Over time, the choices ahead must be made by the people of Taiwan, without fear or favor in reaction to pressure from Beijing. The Trump administration is so far taking a sensible approach in supporting the island and providing advanced technology for defensive systems. It must resist the temptation to use Taiwan as a bargaining chip with China.

While undermining Taiwan in that way could provide some short-term relief on knotty problems between the two superpowers, it would be self-defeating over the longer term. Keeping faith with a faithful ally is the right course, and offers the most benefit to U.S. objectives in the region and beyond.

James Stavridis is a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former military commander of NATO.</s>'Very strong' Pacific Ocean Typhoon Jebi is slated to make landfall near Honshu, Japan, on Tuesday as preparations are ongoing to protect lives and property ahead of the event.Weather officials in Japan have issued flood as well as landslide and high-wave warnings to areas of Japan devastated by deadly flooding earlier this year.The 21st named storm of the Pacific Ocean's 2018 severe weather season, Typhoon Jebi has diminished marginally over the past 24 hours as it moves over slightly cooler water but is still seeing powerful winds up to 252 kph (156 mph) and barometric pressure readings of 935 Millibars, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency.No further lessening of the storm's power is predicted and a landfall on Honshu is expected for early Tuesday, the agency said, cited by The Japan Times."Maintaining its very strong power, the typhoon is forecast to approach western and eastern Japan," the agency noted.Record July rainfall saw flooding and landslides that killed some 220 in the Chugoku region - including the Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi prefectures - in Japan's worst weather disaster in many years. The same area will soon bear the brunt of Jebi's onslaught.Considered by many meteorologists to be the strongest Pacific storm of the season to date, Jebi is still several hundreds of kilometers south of Japan but is churning northward at some 16 mph, according to Accuweather.About 27,000 people in Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, were evacuated Saturday after an unrelated torrential rainstorm caused flooding in the region.</s>The 21st named storm of the Pacific Ocean's 2018 severe weather season, Typhoon Jebi has diminished marginally over the past 24 hours as it moves over slightly cooler water but is still seeing powerful winds up to 252 kph (156 mph) and barometric pressure readings of 935 Millibars, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency.

No further lessening of the storm's power is predicted and a landfall on Honshu is expected for early Tuesday, the agency said, cited by The Japan Times.

"Maintaining its very strong power, the typhoon is forecast to approach western and eastern Japan," the agency noted.

Record July rainfall saw flooding and landslides that killed some 220 in the Chugoku region — including the Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi prefectures — in Japan's worst weather disaster in many years. The same area will soon bear the brunt of Jebi's onslaught.

Considered by many meteorologists to be the strongest Pacific storm of the season to date, Jebi is still several hundreds of kilometers south of Japan but is churning northward at some 16 mph, according to Accuweather.

 

Residents in the affected regions have been urged by the Meteorological Agency to prepare for dangerously high waves and heavy flooding that could cause more landslides in already-soaked areas.

About 27,000 people in Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, were evacuated Saturday after an unrelated torrential rainstorm caused flooding in the region.</s>11:50 am. Eyewall of #Typhoon #JEBI very close. Extremely turbulent. Debris flying. In Gobo. 973 mb. #HurricaneMan pic.twitter.com/4ZGR5YfGS9
The Typhoon Jebi in Taiwan killed six people while another was declared missing.