The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday at 5:30pm issued a sea warning for Typhoon Kong-rey as the storm drew closer to the east coast.
As of 8pm yesterday, the storm was 670km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and traveling northwest at 12kph to 16kph.
It was packing maximum sustained winds of 162kph and gusts of up to 198kph, the CWA said.
A land warning might be issued this morning for the storm, which is expected to have the strongest impact on Taiwan from tonight to early Friday morning, the agency said.
Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島) canceled classes and work for today.
The typhoon was strengthening faster than expected and is projected to reach the upper limit of a moderate typhoon by this morning, CWA forecaster Chu Mei-lin (朱美霖) said.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration
Heavy rainfall is expected today across Taipei and New Taipei City, and Yilan and Hualien counties as the typhoon approaches, becoming stronger in the evening, Chu said.
The storm is expected to reach the nation’s southeastern waters tomorrow, with the center making landfall along Hualien and Taitung counties and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) in the afternoon, she said.
It might enter the Taiwan Strait late tomorrow night or on Friday morning, depending on how it transforms after crossing the Central Mountain Range, Chu added.
From tomorrow to Friday morning, torrential rainfall or extreme torrential rainfall is expected in eastern Taiwan, and heavy rainfall is expected in northern, southern and central areas, CWA Forecast Center Director Lin Po-tung (林伯東) told a news conference.
Heavy rainfall is expected to continue in central and southern Taiwan through Friday, while rainfall in the north and east is expected to gradually lessen, Lin said.
Influenced by the typhoon’s outer winds, Penghu County, Lanyu and Green Island are likely to experience gusts with a force reaching level 11 and 12 today, he said.
Gusts of about level 11 are expected along the west coast from Miaoli to Yunlin counties, and stronger gusts are expected in eastern Taiwan and Kinmen County, along with large waves, he added.
Some train, ferry services and events in eastern Taiwan have been suspended or rescheduled.
Ferries from Donggang (東港) and Yanpu (鹽埔) ports to Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球) are suspended from tomorrow to Friday.
Taiwan Railway Corp said that it has canceled its presidential train that was scheduled to run between Taitung and Hualien County’s Ruisui Station on Sunday.
Rock band Mayday postponed concerts scheduled from Friday to Sunday in Kaohsiung and Hualien.
Additional reporting by CNA
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