Typhoon Haikui is expected to bring about 700mm of accumulated rainfall to Hualien and Taitung counties from yesterday through Tuesday, with the two regions forecast to take the brunt of the storm, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
Low-lying areas in Hualien and Taitung are expected to receive 400mm to 700mm of rain, while mountainous areas are forecast to get 600mm to 900mm in Hualien and 500mm to 800mm in Taitung over the four-day period, the bureau said.
After issuing a sea warning on Friday night, the bureau issued a land warning for Haikui at 11:30am yesterday, indicating that the storm was gathering strength as it approached Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
As of 9pm, the center of Haikui was 350km east-northeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and moving west at 17kph, the bureau said, adding that it was packing maximum sustained winds of 144kph and gusts of up to 180kph.
The low-lying and mountainous areas of Kaohsiung and Pingtung County are expected to record 400mm to 600mm and 400mm to 700mm of rain respectively over the four days, it said.
Low-lying regions in Yilan County, Tainan and the Hengchun Peninsula are expected to receive 300mm to 500mm of rain, while the mountainous areas of Yilan and Tainan are likely to receive 500mm to 800mm and 300mm to 500mm respectively, it said.
Photo courtesy of Yilan County Government
Low-lying regions in New Taipei City, Chiayi County, Green Island (綠島) and Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) are expected to receive 250mm to 450mm of rain, with heavier precipitation likely in the regions’ mountainous areas, which could receive 300mm to 500mm, the bureau said.
The impact from Typhoon Haikui is forecast to be less severe in Keelung, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Taichung, and Miaoli, Hsinchu City, Changhua and Nantou counties, and outlying Matsu, Lienchiang and Penghu counties, with less than 250mm of rain expected, it added.
Open spaces in northern and eastern Taiwan, the Hengchun Peninsula and Penghu and Lienchiang would experience strong winds today, the bureau said.
Bureau forecaster Hsieh Pei-yun (謝佩芸) said the storm was moving toward Taitung and its outer rim was likely reach Taiwan this morning, adding the eye could make landfall in Taiwan late this evening.
Haikui’s radius would not reach Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung, she said, but added that if the storm continues to grow or move northward, the three cities could be affected.
Hsieh said that after the typhoon passes Taiwan, it is expected to move slowly in the Taiwan Strait and affect the country’s weather until at least Tuesday.
Areas that would have no work or classes today are Chiayi City, Tainan and Kaohsiung, and Chiayi, Hualien, Taitung and Pingtung counties, the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration said.
Penghu County would have no classes or work in the afternoon.
Elsewhere work and classes would continue as normal.
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