 Storm Beryl leaves thousands without power in Puerto Rico San Juan (AFP) July 10, 2018 - Thousands of Puerto Ricans lost power Monday as driving rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl neared the island, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria 10 months ago. "The entire government of Puerto Rico is on alert for the passage of Beryl's remnants, and heavy rain is expected in the local area," Ricardo Rossello, governor of the US territory, wrote on Facebook. "We ask citizens to be watchful." The US National Weather Service issued an alert for flash floods, with as much as 50 mm (two inches) of rain already recorded on the Caribbean island. The local Electric Power Authority reported on Facebook that more than 13,000 customers were without service, including those who still do not have power after Hurricane Maria, which struck on its path through the Caribbean last September. The official death count from the hurricane is 64, but a study by Harvard University and Puerto Rico's Carlos Albizu University estimated there were as many as 4,645 hurricane-related deaths, many of them attributable to the collapse of the electric power grid.
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Schools and offices in Taiwan will close Tuesday and flights have been cancelled as Typhoon Maria churns towards Taiwan bringing torrential rains and powerful winds.
Maria was 500 kilometres (310 miles) east of the northeastern coastal town of Yilan with gusts of up to 190 kilometres an hour as of 10 am local time (0200 GMT), the weather bureau said.
Its impact was expected to be the strongest from late Tuesday to early Wednesday, with downpours up to 500 millimetres (19.7 inches) forecast in some areas, the bureau added.
Officials have warned of possible floods and mudslides.
Taiwanese authorities announced that offices and schools would close on Tuesday afternoon in five cities, including Yilan, where strong waves have started to pound the shore.
Local television footage showed farmers in Yilan rushing to their fields harvest scallions, the county's most famous produce.
Fishermen in coastal Keeling also brought in their catch and secured their boats ahead of the storm, one day after dozens of ferry services to outlying islands were cancelled.
Taiwan's UNI Air cancelled around 70 domestic flights on Tuesday while two other airlines have cancelled flights to the Japanese island of Okinawa.
Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific said it has cancelled over a dozen flights between Hong Kong and Taipei, as well as from Hong Kong to Okinawa on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Premier William Lai warned local authorities and the public to "remain vigilant" for the first typhoon of the season in Taiwan.
He urged people to stay indoors and cooperate with the government's disaster prevention plans.
The typhoon will not make a direct hit if it continues on its current trajectory, which would see it skim off northern Taiwan, according to the weather bureau.
Taiwan is frequently hit by typhoons in the summer. Last year more than 100 people were injured when Typhoon Nesat battered the island, causing flooding and widespread power outages.
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Taiwan issues warning as Typhoon Maria approaches
Taipei (AFP) July 9, 2018
Ferries were suspended and farmers rushed for last-minute harvests Monday as Taiwan braced for Typhoon Maria, with warnings of possible mudslides and flooding as the storm nears.
Maria was 1,100 kilometres (684 miles) east-southeast of the capital Taipei with gusts of up to 200 kilometres an hour as of 2:30 pm local time (0630 GMT).
Waves were starting to pound the island's north and east coasts with the weather bureau predicting the typhoon's impact would be strongest on Tuesday night and Wedne ... read more
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