TAIPEI, June 20 (Reuters) - Taiwan on Wednesday issued a warning for torrential rain across the island, evacuating thousands and ordering businesses to close across the south as tropical storm Talim approached, but business in the capital Taipei is expected to continue as normal.
Talim, passing through the Taiwan Strait between the island and mainland China, could bring up to 1,500 mm of rain to parts of Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, the central weather bureau said.
It is expected to have passed Taiwan by Thursday morning, when it will head for southern Japan.
Businesses and financial markets in Taipei were not ordered to close on Wednesday, and the central bank said its policy meeting scheduled for Thursday would go ahead.
The storm has disrupted transport in the island's south and will add to damage caused by heavy rain in recent weeks. Agricultural losses have already reached some ${esc.dollar}21 million, according to the island's agricultural authority.
The government has deployed military personnel in some areas of the south that had suffered heavily in 2009 when typhoon Morakot struck, killing hundreds. The government was heavily criticised for its handling of the disaster. (Reporting by Jonathan Standing; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)
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