Taipei: The Central Weather Administration (CWA) lifted the land warning for Typhoon Ragasa at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, but warned that rain will continue into the night across the country, with torrential rain expected in eastern Taiwan.
According to Focus Taiwan, a sea warning remains effective in the Taiwan Strait, the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan, and the seas around Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands). Mountainous regions of Hualien, Taitung, and Pingtung counties have been issued extremely torrential rain advisories, indicating that rainfall is expected to exceed 500 millimeters in 24 hours.
The CWA predicts torrential rain in Hualien, Taitung, and mountainous areas in Kaohsiung and Yilan County, defined as accumulated rain exceeding 350 mm in 24 hours or 200 mm in three hours. Extremely heavy rain is also forecast in Yilan County, Nantou County, the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung, Orchid Island, Green Island, and mountainous regions in New Taipei, Taoyuan, and Taichung, where rainfall is expected to exceed 200 mm in 24 hours or 100 mm in three hours.
In addition, the CWA expects heavy rain in Taipei, New Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Keelung City, Pingtung, and mountainous areas in Hsinchu and Chiayi Counties, with rainfall likely to exceed 80 mm in 24 hours or 40 mm in an hour. As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, Ragasa’s center was located about 350 kilometers southwest of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 198 kph and gusts up to 245 kph.
Most Taiwan Railway services on the North Link Line, South Link Line, and Taitung Line before midday Tuesday will be suspended. The state-run railway corporation announced that passengers with tickets for disrupted trains can apply for a refund free of handling fees at any station by presenting their unused tickets.
