TAIPEI, 2005 Sept 1 (From AFP) - Two people were killed and 39 injured, at least three seriously, as Typhoon Talim pounded Taiwan Thursday with strong winds and heavy rains, forcing offices, schools and financial markets to close. Two men drowned in southern Tainan and northern Miaoli counties while the injured were from the worst-hit northern and central parts of the island, said the National Fire Agency, which coordinated the relief efforts. Winds uprooted billboards and trees across the island, all domestic flights were canceled and many trains and international air services were delayed. An air raid drill slated for Friday in Taipei was postponed until next week. An express train bound for Taipei from southern Kaohsiung city was canceled after one of its glass windows was shattered by a falling sign. In central Taichung, a bridge connecting Kukuan, a popular hot spring, was submerged by flash floods, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of tourists, police said. In northeastern Ilan county, powerful waves smashed into the port of Wushi, which was closed by the authorities. In the capital, where the rains and winds were less severe than elsewhere, bars, karaoke lounges and restaurants were crowded as people took advantage of the national holiday declared by the government as a result of Talim. Most air and land traffic was expected to return to normal later Thursday as the typhoon moved away from the island.

This Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) image was acquired on 30 August 2005 and shows Typhoon Talim (centre left image) over central Pacific Ocean. The coastlines have been highlighted red in this image to define their location.

This ASAR wide swath mode image was acquired on 30 August 2005 and shows Typhoon Talim (centre lower right image) over the central Pacific Ocean.