TAIPEI, Oct 24 (AFP) - Taiwan's central weather bureau warned residents Sunday to protect themselves against approaching Typhoon Nock-ten, which it said could bring strong winds and downpours which trigger mudslides.
Residents in low-lying areas were asked to guard against floods while those in mountainous regions were urged to watch out for mudslides.
Nock-ten, which means 'bird' in Lao, was 520 kilometers (322 miles) east-southeast of southern Taitung county at 11:30 am (0330 GMT), the bureau said.
With a radius of 250 kilometers, it was moving northwest at an hourly speed of 27 kilometers and could bear down on the northern and eastern parts of the island on Monday, it said.
In August Typhoon Aere claimed 24 lives when strong winds and heavy rains touched off mudslides, burying an entire village in the mountains of northern Hsinchu county.
10/24/2004 03:58 GMT - AFP