MAJOR STORM ON COURSE TO HIT TAIWAN

Typhoon Soudelor is expected to reach the equivalent to category 5 status in the coming days as it journeys towards Taiwan. The storm is expected to reach the country by the weekend, and will still potentially be equivalent to a major hurricane in strength. During the weekend, the storm passed directly over the island of Saipan, to the north of Guam, with Category 2 hurricane-force winds. Despite the storm being a number of days away, Accuweather has reported there is growing confidence that Taiwan, eastern China and the southern Ryukyu Islands will have to contend with Soudelor as early as Thursday night or Friday, with continued impacts into next week. The current forecast track takes Soudelor on a course directly towards Taipei. Soudelor is the eighth typhoon and 13th named storm of the 2015 northwest Pacific typhoon season. Atlantic storm activity remains quiet as the season enters its second month.