Taiwan Braces for Typhoon Fung-Wong as Land Warning Issued

Taipei: The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Tuesday issued a land warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong as the storm continues on its path toward southern Taiwan. The agency issued a land warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong at 5:30 a.m., meaning that areas in Taiwan are expected to be within the storm's outer rim within 18 hours. According to Focus Taiwan, the initial warning area covers southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and the Hengchun Peninsula, and will be expanded to include Tainan in the south and Taitung in the southeast as the storm approaches, as stated by CWA forecaster Chu Mei-lin. As of 7 a.m., the typhoon was located 360 kilometers southwest of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, and moving north northeast at a speed of 11 kilometers per hour. The typhoon carries maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 119 kph and gusts of 155 kph. A land warning is issued 18 hours before a typhoon's radius of sustained winds of 34 knots (63 kph) is expected to hit the island of Taiwan or the out lying Penghu, Kinmen, or Matsu islands. Chu noted that the typhoon is expected to come closest to Taiwan between Wednesday afternoon and evening, before moving out to sea east of Taiwan early Thursday morning. However, there remains uncertainty regarding its path and landfall location, with the potential impact area covering Taiwan's western regions and the Hengchun Peninsula. Chu also mentioned that as the typhoon approaches, its outer circulation could interact with the northeasterly monsoon, creating a combined effect and bringing significant rainfall to northern and eastern Taiwan.