Taipei:Typhoon Champi is forecast to bring its heaviest rain to Taiwan from Friday through Saturday morning, with mountainous areas of Yilan County in the east possibly seeing extremely torrential rain, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Friday.
According to Focus Taiwan, Wu Wan-hua, deputy director of the CWA's Weather Forecast Center, indicated that the typhoon was moving closer to Taiwan, with its eye expected to be located over waters northeast of Taiwan late Friday night. The storm was anticipated to slow down from Friday evening and gradually turn northward early Saturday.
As of 9 a.m. Friday, Typhoon Champi was centered about 320 kilometers east-southeast of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, moving northwest at 11-16 kilometers per hour. The typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 155 kph, gusts of up to 191 kph, and a radius of 320 km, according to CWA data. The storm's outer bands are expected to bring heavy rain, particularly from Friday through Saturday morning, with extremely heavy rain forecasted for northern, northeastern, and central Taiwan, and extremely torrential rain for mountainous areas in Yilan.
The CWA has issued torrential or extremely torrential rain advisories for mountainous areas in Yilan, and extremely heavy or torrential rain advisories for mountainous areas in Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County, and Miaoli County. Heavy or extremely heavy rain advisories are also in effect for Keelung and the north coast, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, and Yilan, as well as mountainous areas of Taichung, Nantou County, and Hualien County. Additionally, heavy rain advisories are in effect for Hsinchu City, Taichung, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Hualien County, and mountainous areas of Yunlin County, Chiayi County, and Kaohsiung.
The CWA explained that an extremely torrential rain advisory indicates 24-hour rainfall is expected to exceed 500 millimeters, while a torrential rain advisory means 24-hour rainfall is expected to exceed 350 mm or three-hour rainfall is expected to exceed 200 mm. An extremely heavy rain advisory indicates 24-hour rainfall is expected to exceed 200 mm or three-hour rainfall is expected to exceed 100 mm, while a heavy rain advisory suggests 24-hour rainfall is expected to exceed 80 mm or one-hour rainfall is expected to exceed 40 mm.
Wu noted that eastern Taiwan and parts of Nantou, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung were within range of Champi's gale-force winds, which were expected to reach the entire island by Friday afternoon. Wu also warned of high waves, with 10-meter waves observed in waters to the southeast. Winds were reported to be very strong in coastal, mountainous, and flat areas, with coastal areas recording winds of more than 76 kph since Friday morning.