Typhoon Kaemi nears Taiwan, shuts Philippine capital

TAIPEI, July 24 (Reuters) Intermittent downpours soaked Taiwan's capital today and residents stocked up on food as typhoon Kaemi headed towards the island after the storm shut down financial markets, offices and schools in the Philippines.

As of 1230 IST, the centre of the storm was about 190 km southeast of Taiwan and moving northwest at 16 kph, with sustained winds of up to 137 kph and maximum gusts of 173 kph, Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said.

The typhoon is expected to hit China's southeastern coastal province of Fujian on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency said, adding that Kaemi could cause more problems in already flood-affected areas of the country.

In Taiwan's capital Taipei, the government urged people to move cars from parking areas along the main rivers running through the city in case of flooding and television footage showed people stocking up on food.

Central and southeastern coastal areas were likely to see intensifying rain and wind from this afternoon, said the bureau, with the typhoon expected to make landfall tomorrow.

Key ports of Kaohsiung in the south and Keelung in the north were still operating normally, but airlines had begun cancelling domestic flights.

The storm closed Philippine financial markets in Manila today as it moved across waters off the northern Batanes province, bringing heavy rain.

Schools in five provinces on the main island of Luzon and in the capital were also forced to shut.

In China, authorities ordered ships to return to port and warned people to be on alert for flooding.

Earlier this month, tropical storm Bilis killed more than 550 people in the Philippines, Taiwan and China in floods, landslides and other incidents.

China raised its death toll from Bilis to at least 530, and said it was sending officials to four southern provinces and regions to oversee relief efforts, including Hunan.

State television reported last week that Hunan officials might have underreported the death toll, prompting the Ministry of Civil Affairs to warn against covering up the disaster.

China has a long track of imposing news blackouts on accidents and disasters. Officials have been known to falsify figures rather than report bad news to their superiors.

Tropical storms and typhoons frequently hit Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong and southern China during a season that lasts from early summer to late autumn.

Reuters AB DB1322