Gaemi downgraded to tropical storm, heading toward China

Taipei, July 25 (CNA) Typhoon Gaemi was downgraded to a tropical storm on Thursday evening and was forecast to make landfall in China later that day, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

However, the CWA's typhoon warnings for sea and land currently remain in place, the agency said.

As of 8 p.m. on Thursday, the storm was about 100 kilometers southwest of Taiwan's outlying Matsu Islands, and moving at 18 kilometers per hour (kph) in a northwesterly direction toward China.

"Gaemi has already weakened into a tropical storm, and Taitung is no longer included in the land warning areas," CWA forecaster Hsieh Pei-yun (謝佩芸) told a press conference on Thursday.

However, the storm still covers areas north of Kaohsiung, Yilan, Hualien, outlying islands of Penghu, Matsu and Kinmen, Hsieh said.

Winds and rain will continue in areas south of Miaoli, Penghu and Matsu, while Pingtung should also "remain on high alert," she added.

Due to the impact of Gaemi's peripheral circulation and moisture brought by strong southwesterly winds, mountainous areas in central and southern Taiwan are likely to see "extremely torrential rain," while flat areas south of Miaoli may experience "extremely heavy rain or torrential rain lasting a short period," according to Hsieh.

The CWA defines extremely heavy rain as accumulated rainfall of 200 millimeters (mm) or more within 24 hours, while torrential rain refers to rainfall of 350 mm or more, and extremely torrential rain is rainfall of 500 mm or more.

According to CWA's website, as of 9:10 p.m. on Thursday, Duonalindao area in Kaohisung's Maolin District had recorded 1,204.5 mm of accumulated rainfall, the highest among any weather stations in Taiwan, followed by Fenqihu village in Chiayi County's Zhuqi Township, with 1,020.5 mm of accumulated rainfall.

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