Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8 pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning.
As of 8 pm, the typhoon was 1,020 kilometers east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23 km per hour.
The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119 kph and gusts reaching 155 kph, according to the CWA.
Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration via CNA
Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added.
CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest winds to Taiwan tomorrow.
Podul’s center is expected to make landfall around Taitung and Hualien counties at about midday tomorrow, he said, adding that northern Taitung is the most likely location.
As the radius of the storm would hit Taiwan proper tomorrow morning, people in central and southern Taiwan as well as the eastern half of the nation should pay close attention to strong winds and heavy rain, he said.
Although northern Taiwan would see weaker rainfall, strong winds could still cause problems, he said.
Precipitation would be heaviest in southern Taiwan from tomorrow afternoon to evening, with areas south of Chiayi County and the eastern half of Taiwan proper experiencing extremely heavy rain (200mm in 24 hours or 100mm in three hours).
Hualien and Taitung as well as mountainous areas in southern Taiwan could see rainfall stronger than extremely heavy rain, the CWA said.
Podul would likely weaken and be reclassified as a tropical storm after passing over the Central Mountain Range before hitting China’s Fujian Province on Thursday, Chang said.
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