Taipei: The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has issued a land warning for Typhoon Bavi, indicating its potential impact on Taiwan starting from Friday evening through Saturday. The warning was announced early Friday morning, signaling the urgency of the situation as the typhoon approaches.
According to Focus Taiwan, the warning was issued at 5:30 a.m. on Friday. By 8 a.m., the eye of Typhoon Bavi was positioned approximately 700 kilometers east of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, moving northwest at a speed of 25 kilometers per hour. The typhoon is currently packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching up to 198 kilometers per hour. The storm's radius extends about 380 kilometers.
CWA forecaster Lin Po-tung has noted that rainfall is expected to intensify, particularly in the mountainous regions of northern, central, and southern Taiwan later in the day. The heaviest rainfall is forecasted from Friday night through Saturday, potentially leading to torrential rain in northern Taiwan, including areas such as New Taipei and Yilan, as well as Miaoli and Hsinchu counties. Accumulated rainfall in these areas could exceed 350 millimeters.
Lin further highlighted that mountainous regions in central Taiwan and Hualien County in the east might experience localized torrential rain, while southern Taiwan's mountainous areas could face localized heavy rain. Although Typhoon Bavi has weakened since Thursday night, and its storm radius is expected to shrink slightly, the public is advised to stay vigilant due to increasing rainfall and strengthening winds.
Additionally, Taiwan's east coast has experienced significantly higher waves, with some reaching over 6 meters, particularly in Taitung County's Chenggong Township and on Lanyu, also known as Orchid Island. Winds are expected to intensify with northern Taiwan potentially facing gusts between 75-117 kilometers per hour from Friday night through late Saturday, while other regions might experience gusts ranging from 62-88 kilometers per hour.