Typhoon Maria path LIVE update: top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Typhoon Maria: Japan suffers mass FLOODING Typhoon Maria is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Monday bringing heavy rains to several parts of the country. The storm will trigger monsoon rains over the region of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) and Panay Island until Tuesday. Maria has maximum speeds of 190 km/h near the centre and gustiness of up to 235 kph and Maria is currently moving north-west at a speed of 23 kph. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Atmospheric (PAGASA) said the typhoon was last seen 1,625 kilometres east of northern Luzon, remaining outside of PAR. Meteorologists said Maria would remain a powerful super typhoon through the beginning of the week as it churns north-west ward over the Philippine Sea. Lives and property are at threat when Maria plummels through Japan’s Ryukyu Islands on Tuesday (local time) before tracking past Taiwan and making landfall in eastern China early on Wednesday. Tuesday, July 10 11.30am update: Typhoon Maria is now smashing Taiwan The Central Weather Bureau is tracking Typhoon Maria as it makes its way across the Pacific Ocean, measuring the speed with which it moves towards land. Predictions currently are that Typhoon Maria will reach Taiwan at 5pm local time (10am BST). Typhoon Maria is expected to crash through parts of Southern Japan, Taiwan and China threatening to unleash heavy rains and powerful gusts of winds. Weather Channel meteorologist Kait Parker said: "Where we are watching are some of these islands between Okinawa and Taipei because some of them will take a direct hit from the storm. "It was a super typhoon, it’s weakened just a bit, now it’s just a typhoon but still remarkably strong. The bigger concern here yes, winds and waves, but also the rain. "As it makes its way north of Taiwan, maybe skirting right across Taipei with the strongest winds, it’s also going to be leaving behind a lot of rain, eight to 12 inches in some spots, maybe a foot and a half in some parts of Taiwan which could cause flooding and mudslides." Typhoon Maria map: The typhoon will crash into Taiwan and China today 9.12am update: Northern Taiwan to be hit hard by typhoon Maria The weather bureau in Taiwan is warning of landslides and flash floods on the heavily industrialized island. As of Tuesday morning, Maria was 490 km east of Yilan, moving in a west-northwesterly direction at 30 km per hour. The typhoon is expected to hit the north of Taiwan the hardest, the Central Weather Bureau said. Troops were deployed in some areas, with heavy rain and winds expected later on Tuesday and early on Wednesday. 7.37am update: Schools and offices in Taiwan will close Tuesday and flights have been cancelled as Typhoon Maria churns towards Taiwan Maria was 310 miles east of the northeastern coastal town of Yilan with gusts of up to 190 kilometres an hour as of 3am BST. The typhoon's impact is expected to be the strongest from late Tuesday to early Wednesday, with downpours up to 20 inches forecast. Officials have warned of possible floods and mudslides. As the swirling vortex approaches, farmers in Yilan have been rushing to harvest their produce while fishermen in coastal Keeling also brought in their catch and secured their boats ahead of the storm. Taiwan's UNI Air cancelled around 70 domestic flights on Tuesday while two other airlines have cancelled flights to the Japanese island of Okinawa. Typhoon Maria map: The typhoon is picking up speed Tuesday July 10 5:24am update: Taiwan braced for impact Taiwan is bracing for Maria's landfall at around 5pm local time. (10am UK time). As of 9:15 a.m., the CWB reports that Super Typhoon Maria was located 530 kilometers east of Yilan and is moving northwest at a speed of 28 kilometers per hour. It has a radius of 280 kilometers and is packing maximum sustained winds of 190 kilometers per hour with wind gusts of 234 kilometers per hour. 4:14am update: Schools and offices are announcing closures Schools and offices in Taiwan are announcing closures as they prepare for high winds and rain. 3:00am update: Taiwan preparing for Tuesday storm The main impact of the storm is expected in Taiwan on Tuesday evening, with expected landfall earlier that day. The super typhoon, which has a storm radius of 280 kilometers, is carrying maximum sustained winds of 198 kph, with gusts of up to 245 kph. 1:04am update: Residents warned of threat to life Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau (CWB) has issued a warning as the periphery of the storm looks set to sweep across Taiwan bringing 130km gusts of wind. Accuweather’s forecast warns that “anyone in Maria’s path should now make necessary preparations and heed any evacuation orders.” 00:06am update: Weather Bureau issues warning for Taiwan The Central Weather Bureau issued a land warning for Super Typhoon Maria in Taiwan as the storm looks to make landfall in less than 18 hours. The storm is expected to make landfall at around 5:30pm local time on Tuesday. Typhoon Maria path LIVE update: The storm could now miss Taiwan Monday July 9 9.20pm: Weather forecasting maps predict Maria will 'narrowly miss' Taiwan The eye of the storm is predicted to bypass Taiwan on its way to China, according to the latest weather forecasting models. Satellite images, provided by WeatherBELL, show the eye of the storm swirling just north of the Republic of China state in the next 30 hours. WeatherBELL tweeted just before 8.30pm BST: “The Just-upgraded HWRF 12z shows the eye of powerful Typhoon #Maria narrowly missing northern Taiwan en route to Wed AM China landfall. Higher elevations on the island nearer to the eye are prone to stronger winds.” The prediction should come as welcome news to Taiwan’s 23.5m population. 8.40pm: Miitary planes diverted to Tokyo to avoid Typhoon Maria Jet fighter planes have been forced to land in Tokyo in order to escape Typhoon Maria, according to news site military.com. Fifteen F-15 Eagle fighters and eight F-22 Raptor fighter bypassed the storm by touching down in the Japanese capital from Okinawa’s Kadena Air Base. 7pm: What are the latest updates on Maria's path? Maria continues to head west-northwestward over the Northern Philippine Sea, according to the latest update from PAGASA. The typhoon’s wind speeds were 185km/h (114mph) at 11pm local time with gustiness up to 225km/h (139mph) suggesting it has weakened somewhat. Some residents in low-lying and mountainous areas could be at risk of landslides and flooding due to heavy rains. Areas at risk include Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Zambales, Bataan and Aurora. PAGASA also warned Maria could “enhance” the southwest monsoon (Habitat) bringing rains to Western Visayas and Mimaropa within the next 48 hours. Typhoon Maria is expected to exit PAR between July 10 and Wednesday early morning (local time) on July 11. Typhoon Maria path LIVE update: NASA said Maria appeared as a 'well-organized storm' 6.30pm: Typhoon Maria appears as 'well-organized storm' says NASA NASA has released satellite imagery showing the ferocity of Typhoon Maria as it heads towards Japan. The scientific agency captured the storm at 3pm BST when Maria’s winds were nearly at 231km/ph (143.8mph). At this point the typhoon was centred about 255 nautical miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. NASA said Maria was moving to the west-northwest at 17.2 mph (15 knots/27.7 kph). 5.55pm: Land warning issued for Keelung and Taiwan states The Central Weather Bureau issued a land warning for Keelung, Yilan County, New Taipei City and Taipei City for the super typhoon at 11pm local time (4pm BST). The storm was located at 860km East Northeast of Basco, Batanes at 10pm local time (3pm BST).<doc-sep>top stories SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox Typhoon Maria is expected to crash through parts of Southern Japan, Taiwan and China threatening to unleash heavy rains and powerful gusts of winds. Weather Channel meteorologist Kait Parker said: "Where we are watching are some of these islands between Okinawa and Taipei because some of them will take a direct hit from the storm. "It was a super typhoon, it’s weakened just a bit, now it’s just a typhoon but still remarkably strong. The bigger concern here yes, winds and waves, but also the rain. "As it makes its way north of Taiwan, maybe skirting right across Taipei with the strongest winds, it’s also going to be leaving behind a lot of rain, eight to 12 inches in some spots, maybe a foot and a half in some parts of Taiwan which could cause flooding and mudslides."<doc-sep>
Storm Maria is spreading towards Taiwan, Japan and China The equivalent of a category four hurricane, Super Typhoon Maria has been gaining strength over the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. A category four hurricane is one that has winds which range from 131 to 155 miles per hour. Such hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage to humans, animals and property. Areas hit by a category four hurricane can expect severe structural damage to homes and buildings. Taiwan, Southern Japanese islands of Ryukyu, and parts of China may all be affected by the raging typhoon. The typhoon's impact is expected to be the strongest from late Tuesday to early Wednesday, as downpours up to 20 inches are forecast. Currently, Typhoon Maria is approximately 153 miles south-southwest of Kadena Airbase in Japan. The storm has moved at a rate of 17.2 mph (15 knots) over the past six hours, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre. Typhoon Maria: Category three cyclone approaches China Maximum wind speeds have been measured as gusting up to 155 mph, with sustained winds of 143mph. The Weather Channel has described how conditions will worsen for nearby islands: "Typhoon Maria is currently in an environment of very warm ocean water – up to 82-degree sea-surface temperatures – low wind shear and excellent outflowing winds aloft to its north. "Maria is expected to begin encountering some increased wind shear and somewhat lower ocean-heat content, which should induce a weakening trend. “However, given its current intensity, Maria will still be formidably strong as it tracks toward Japan's southernmost Ryukyu Islands, northern Taiwan and eastern China." Super Typhoon Maria is gathering strength as it travels towards land The storm radius is currently 173 miles and has caused weather warnings on the islands that it threatens. Japan and Taiwan have landslide and flash flood warnings in place as intense rainfall is expected as a result of Maria hitting land. Taiwan's UNI Air has cancelled 70 domestic flights, and Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific said it had cancelled around a dozen flights. The summer season brings a number of typhoons to Taiwan's shores as shifting temperatures out to sea trigger extreme weather. Shocking photos after Typhoon Damrey kills 69 people in Vietnam Wed, November 8, 2017 The death toll from typhoon downpours and floods wreaking havoc along Vietnam's south-central coast had risen to 69 Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 20 Vietnam policemen clean up debris caused by flooding by Typhoon Damrey, in the ancient UNESCO heritage town of Hoi An