Sea, land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa to be issued Sunday: CWA

Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said on Saturday that it expects to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa on Sunday morning and a land warning at night as it approaches Taiwan.

According to the agency, Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8 a.m. Saturday, located about 1,110 kilometers east-southeast of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost tip.

The typhoon is moving northwest at 13 kilometers per hour, packing sustained winds of up to 119 kph, with gusts reaching 155 kph, the CWA website indicated.

Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) told CNA that Ragasa is projected to strengthen as it nears the Bashi Channel, with its radius, currently at 200 km, expected to expand further.

Liu said gusts may reach 184 kph, making Ragasa potentially the strongest typhoon so far this year in the Northwest Pacific, with Taiwan expected to take the brunt from Monday to early Wednesday.

The storm is forecast to be closest to Taiwan Monday night and Tuesday, when its wind radius could reach 280-300 km.

From Monday to Wednesday, residents in Hualien and Taitung counties should brace for extremely heavy rain and high winds, according to Liu. Mountainous areas in Yilan County and the Kaohsiung-Pingtung region may also see heavy rainfall, with rain expected across the island, Liu added.