Typhoon Podul Makes Landfall in Taiwan’s Taitung County

Taitung: The eye of Typhoon Podul made landfall in Taitung County's Taimali Township in eastern Taiwan, approximately 20 kilometers south-southwest of Taitung City, at about 1 p.m. Wednesday, as reported by the Central Weather Administration (CWA). According to Focus Taiwan, as of 1 p.m., the typhoon was advancing west-northwest at a speed of 29 kilometers per hour, with maximum sustained winds reaching 155 kph and gusts up to 191 kph, based on CWA data. CWA weather forecaster Liu Yu-chi indicated that the typhoon's storm radius had already encompassed Taitung, Hualien, and Nantou counties, as well as areas south of Yunlin County. He cautioned that wind and rain would intensify in Taitung, Hualien, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. The effects of Podul are expected to peak from Wednesday until early Thursday morning, with powerful gusts manifesting along all coastal regions of Taiwan. Hualien and Taitung counties in eastern Taiwan, along with the Hengchun Peninsula in the southernmost part of the island, were alread y experiencing stronger winds and heavier rain by Wednesday morning.