Land warning for Typhoon Kong-rey covers all Taiwan: CWA

Taipei, Oct. 30 (CNA) The land warning for Typhoon Kong-rey was expanded to cover all Taiwan Wednesday evening, with the storm forecast to make landfall on the east coast of Taiwan Thursday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, Kong-rey was 340 kilometers east-southeast of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, and moving northwest at 21-25 kilometers per hour.

It is carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 191 kph and maximum gusts of 234 kph, according to the CWA.

The administration said that with the storm circle gradually entering the Bashi Channel and waters off southeastern Taiwan and posing a threat to all Taiwan and the outlying Penghu islands, the CWA expanded its land warning for the storm to all 22 cities and counties in Taiwan.

At a press conference Wednesday evening, Lin Po-tung (林伯東), a section chief at the CWA, said the typhoon is relative large in size and likely to remain a strong typhoon when it hits Taiwan.

The typhoon could reach waters off southeastern Taiwan on Thursday morning and make landfall somewhere along the coast from Hualien to Pingtung between Thursday afternoon and evening, Lin added.

By noon Thursday, the storm circle will envelop all Taiwan, with the center of the typhoon forecast to leave Taiwan between late that night and early Friday morning, according to Lin.

Lin said Kong-rey will hit Taiwan at its peak and all areas around the island should brace for strong winds and heavy rain from Wednesday night to early Friday morning.

Gusts of up to level 12 or higher on the Beaufort scale (at least 118 kph) are expected at the center of the typhoon with heavy rainfall forecast in northern and eastern Taiwan, he added.

After the storm's center passes, central and southern Taiwan are also expected to see heavy rainfall due to the effects of southwesterly winds, according to Lin.

The storm should weaken gradually and leave Taiwan during the day on Friday, Lin added.

For more details on the current weather in Taiwan, please visit the Central Weather Administration website.