Severe tropical storm trami hits Taiwan

Severe Tropical Storm Trami struck Wednesday in heavily populated northern Taiwan, prompting schools and offices to close down as heavy rains triggered landslides and other disruptions throughout the island, AP reported. At 5:30 p.m.(0330 GMT), the Central Weather Bureau said the center of the storm was located offshore, 100 kilometers (63 miles) northeast of the capital of Taipei, packing sustained winds of 108 kmh (68 mph) with gusts of up to 137 kmh. It was expected to complete its passage of the island's northern coast by midnight, heading westward on a direct course toward the Chinese province of Fujian. An increase of 10 kph in sustained wind speed would cause the storm to be upgraded to typhoon status, though forecasters were unsure if that would happen. Earlier this week, Trami wreaked havoc in the Philippine capital of Manila and in outlying regions, leaving 15 dead, 41 injured and affecting more than 1 million people as floodwaters swamped wide swathes of the densely-populated region. President Benigno Aquino III visited emergency shelters to distribute food packs and cheer up thousands of displaced villagers. --SPA