Taipei: The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a land warning for Typhoon Podul on Tuesday as the storm continues on its path toward waters southeast of Taiwan. The CWA issued a land warning at 2:30 p.m. for Hualien, Taitung, and Pingtung counties and Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, indicating that those areas will be inside the outer rim of the storm within 18 hours.

According to Focus Taiwan, as of 2 p.m., the eye of the storm was located 580 kilometers east-southeast of Taitung, and moving west-northwest at 29 kilometers per hour. It was carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of 119 kph, with gusts of up to 155 kph.

CWA weather forecaster Liu Yu-chi noted that Podul is already affecting waters off eastern Taiwan, the Bashi Channel, and the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. It is expected to intensify slightly and see its radius expand. The typhoon’s eye is expected to approach Taiwan around noon Wednesday, making landfall near Taitung, Liu said.

He forecast heavy rain for Hualien, Taitung, and mountainous areas in southern Taiwan on Wednesday, while other areas could see intermittent rainfall. From late Wednesday night to early Thursday, Podul will move into the southern coastal region of China, with outlying Kinmen County still experiencing significant wind and rain, and strong gusts continuing along Taiwan’s coastal areas, the CWA said.