Typhoon Dujuan disturbs Mid-Autumn Festival in Taiwan

Taiwan's meteorological agency issued the first sea warning for Typhoon Dujuan at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, which coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival this year.

At 8 a.m., the center of the typhoon was located at 620 km east-southeast of Taiwan's Hualien County and was moving towards the island at 14 km per hour.

The agency said Dujuan is packing maximum sustained winds of 162 km per hour, with gusts reaching 198 km per hour. A land warning might follow in the evening at the soonest.

Forecasters warned the typhoon could bring heavy rain to Taiwan, which means moon watching in northern and eastern island is likely to be affected.

Taipei has announced to close riverside parks for public barbecuing, a popular family get-together activity among Taiwanese during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Latest meteorological data suggested Dujuan could pick up strength with an expanding radius as it moves closer to the island, posing a threat in seas off Taiwan's eastern and northern coast and the Bashi Channel.