Taipei: After hitting peak strength on Monday evening, Typhoon Ragasa is expected to gradually weaken over the next 24 hours as it moves towards the South China Sea, with the land warning in Taiwan anticipated to be lifted by Tuesday morning, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).
According to Focus Taiwan, as of 8 p.m., the storm’s center was located approximately 270 kilometers south of Cape Eluanbi, the southernmost point of Taiwan, moving west northwest at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour. The CWA reported that the typhoon, with a radius of 320 kilometers, was packing maximum sustained winds of 209 kilometers per hour and gusts reaching up to 263 kilometers per hour.
The storm has covered Pingtung and Taitung counties as well as the Hengchun Peninsula, posing a threat to southern Taiwan, as forecasted by CWA forecaster Lin Po-tung. Taiwan issued a land warning for the typhoon on Sunday evening after a sea warning came into effect that morning.
The land warning was applied to Taitung, Pingtung, Hengchun Peninsula, and Kaohsiung City, while the sea warning was effective for the Taiwan Strait, waters southeast of Taiwan, the Bashi Channel, and the waters around Dongsha Island, stated Lin. After reaching its peak on Monday evening, Lin mentioned that Typhoon Ragasa is unlikely to strengthen further and is expected to weaken over the next 24 hours as it enters the South China Sea, with the sea warning possibly being removed by Tuesday night.
As the storm approaches Taiwan, precipitation has increased significantly. Lin noted that Keelung and the northeast coastal areas, Yilan, and Hualien have recorded accumulated rain exceeding 100 millimeters since Monday began. The CWA has issued a torrential rain advisory or extremely torrential rain advisory for Taitung and Hualien counties. A torrential rain alert is issued when 24-hour accumulated rainfall exceeds 350 millimeters, or 3-hour accumulated rainfall exceeds 200 millimeters, while an extremely torrential rain warning indicates 24-hour accumulated rainfall exceeding 500 millimeters. Precipitation is expected to continue into Tuesday daytime, Lin said.
Due to the typhoon, the Maritime Port Bureau announced that 110 journeys on 12 ferry routes will be suspended on Tuesday. These include routes such as Keelung to Matsu, Nangan’s Fuao to Fuzhou’s Langqi, Beigan’s Paisha to Fuzhou’s Huangqi, Kinmen to Quanzhou’s Shijing, and Kaohsiung to Penghu. The bureau advised passengers to check ferry schedules before departing.
Additionally, land transportation has been disrupted by intermittent heavy rainfall caused by the typhoon. The Highway Bureau reported mudslides on provincial highway No. 9 at the northbound entry of Huide Tunnel, resulting in the closure of the Heren to Chongde section late Monday afternoon as a precautionary measure. The bureau urged travelers to avoid driving in mountainous areas due to the increased likelihood of further mudslides and rockslides.