Taiwan issues sea warning for Typhoon Gaemi

Taipei, July 22 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a sea warning for Typhoon Gaemi at 11:30 p.m. Monday as the storm was heading toward waters east of Taiwan.

Gaemi was upgraded to a typhoon at around 2 p.m. Monday while hovering over waters east of the Philippine island of Luzon.

As of 11 p.m., the typhoon was located 580 kilometers southeast of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, and moving north to north-northwest at a speed of 17 to 20 kilometers per hour.

It was carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 119 kph and gusts of 155 kph.

The CWA forecast that Gaemi would be located 370 km east of Eluanbi at 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

According to the CWA, a sea warning is issued when a typhoon's radius of sustained winds of 63 kph or greater is expected to reach within 100 kilometers of Taiwan's coast in 24 hours, and is aimed at giving ships time to take precautions.

CWA forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) told CNA on Monday that the storm will mostly affect Taiwan from Tuesday evening until Thursday, with cities and counties in the west and the northeast and mountainous areas across the island forecast to experience heavy rain.

Kuan warned that mountainous areas in western Taiwan could expect torrential rain.

During the day Tuesday, showers and thunderstorms are expected in northern and eastern Taiwan, with skies in other parts of the island becoming cloudy.

Gaemi is forecast to drift away from Taiwan's northern coast on Friday, but Kuan said showers and thunderstorms were still likely to occur in central and southern Taiwan.

Since the typhoon's approach coincides with the annual high tide period, residents in New Taipei's Tamsui District and western Taiwan should also be wary of flooding and seawater backflows, Kuan said.