Taipei, Aug. 14 (CNA) The Central Weather Bureau issued a sea warning for Tropical Storm Kai-Tak Tuesday afternoon, warning boats operating on the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines to be on the alert.

The sea warning was issued at 2:30 p.m. for Kai-Tak, the 13th storm of the 2012 Pacific typhoon season.

A land warning could be issued Tuesday night at the earliest, the bureau said, adding that the eye of the storm may pass just south of Taiwan late Wednesday.

The storm is forecast to begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain.

Conditions are likely to worsen by Thursday, with torrential rain in southern and eastern Taiwan and heavy to torrential downpours in other parts of the country, the bureau said.

As of 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Kai-Tak was centered some 610 kilometers southeast of Eluanbi on the southernmost tip of Taiwan, moving in a northwesterly direction at a speed of 16 km per hour, the weather bureau said.

The storm was packing sustained winds of 72 kph, with gusts of up to 101 kph.

(By Lisha Hsu and Christie Chen)
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