Typhoon Podul forecast to make landfall around Wednesday noon

Taipei, Aug. 13 (CNA) Typhoon Podul is expected to make landfall near Taitung around noon Wednesday and then cut through southern Taiwan before moving into the Taiwan Strait in the late afternoon or evening, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Hualien and Taitung counties in eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula in the southernmost part of the island were already experiencing stronger winds and heavier rain Wednesday morning, and the CWA warned areas south of Chiayi County of similar conditions in the afternoon.

Podul (the 11th typhoon of the season) has slightly intensified, with its center located over waters east-southeast of Taitung and moving west-northwest, according to the CWA.

The storm's radius reached land in Hualien and Taitung and the Hengchun Peninsula by 6 a.m., the CWA said, and as of 10 a.m., its eye was located 90 kilometers southeast of Taitung, and moving west-northwest at 32 kilometers per hour, according to CWA data.

It was carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of 155 kph, with gusts of up to 191 kph.

CWA weather forecaster Liu Yu-chi (劉宇其) said the typhoon's center is expected to make landfall near Taitung around noon, before moving out to sea from southern Taiwan in the afternoon or evening, and hitting coastal areas in southern China by early Thursday morning.

The storm will be at its peak during the day Wednesday, with eastern Taiwan, Chiayi and areas to the south, and the Penghu Islands seeing the most significant effects, including heavy rain or localized torrential rain, according to the CWA.

Hualien, Taitung, and mountainous areas in the south have a high likelihood of rainfall reaching extreme heavy rain levels (24-hour accumulated rainfall exceeding 200 millimeters, or 3-hour accumulated rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters) or above.

Temperature-wise, highs of 27-30 degrees Celsius are forecast for Chiayi and areas to its south and eastern Taiwan, while areas between Miaoli County to Changhua County should see highs of 36 degrees, and the rest of the island should expect highs of 32-33, the CWA said.

Due to the typhoon and its outer band, the CWA said parts of Taitung (including Green and Orchid islands) have experienced gusts of 150 kph, and even stronger gust can be expected in those areas later that day.

Meanwhile, Hualien, Taitung and the Hengchun Peninsula may see gusts of 103 kph or higher, while the Penghu Islands may see sustained winds of 103 kph or gusts of 118 kph or higher.