Taiwan issues land warning as Typhoon Podul nears

TAIPEI -- Taiwan's meteorological agency issued a land warning Tuesday afternoon as Typhoon Podul approached the island, following a maritime warning issued earlier in the day.

As of 2 pm, Podul was centered about 580 kilometers east-southeast of Taitung and moving northwest-west then northwest, posing a threat to the waters off eastern Taiwan, the Bashi Channel, and the Taiwan Strait, according to the agency.

The land warning area covers Hualien, Taitung, Kaohsiung and Pingtung, the agency said, noting that the typhoon's storm circle is expected to reach land on Wednesday morning, with the center making landfall around Wednesday noon in the Taitung area.

Ferry services between Kinmen and Xiamen, as well as between Kinmen and Quanzhou, will be suspended for the entire day on Wednesday, according to Kinmen's harbor authorities.