Taiwan issues land warning for Tropical Storm Danas

Taipei, July 5 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a land warning for Tropical Storm Danas on Saturday night as the storm's outer bands began bringing heavier rain to Taiwan.

The CWA issued the land warning at 8:30 p.m. for Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi cities and Chiayi and Pingtung Counties in southern Taiwan, indicating that those areas are expected to be within the storm's outer rim within 18 hours.

The land warning was also for Taiwan's outlying Penghu County.

The storm took shape at 2 a.m. near the Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, having intensified from a tropical depression, the CWA said.

As of 8:30 p.m., the eye of the storm was located 330 kilometers west-southwest of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, and moving north-northeast at 10 to 20 kilometers per hour, according to CWA data.

It was carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of 83 kph, with gusts of up to 108 kph, according to the CWA.

According to CWA forecaster Liu Yu-chi (劉宇其), the storm, which is showing signs of getting stronger, will pass through the Taiwan Strait between the later half of Sunday and early Monday.

Though the eye of the storm might not directly make landfall on Taiwan, its outer band and storm radius will likely bring extremely heavy rain to Taiwan, Liu said.

The CWA expected that the storm would have its biggest impact on locations south of Chiayi County and the outlying Penghu County.

It forecast that Tropical Storm Danas would hit locations south of Chiayi as well as in Hualien and Taitung counties on Taiwan's eastern seaboard with brief showers and thundershowers, and possibly heavy rain or localized extremely heavy rain.

All other locations around Taiwan could also see localized brief showers and thundershowers due to the effect of Danas, the CWA said.

As of Saturday night, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City as well as Chiayi and Pingtung counties had all announced that offices and schools would be closed Sunday due to the approaching storm.

Offices and schools will also be closed in Penghu County, but only starting at noon Sunday.