Typhoon Ragasa land warning lifted, nationwide rain continues

Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) lifted the land warning for Typhoon Ragasa at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, but warned that rain will continue into the night across the country, with torrential rain expected in eastern Taiwan.

A sea warning is effective in the Taiwan Strait, the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan and seas around Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands), according to the CWA.

Mountainous regions of Hualien, Taitung and Pingtung counties were issued extremely torrential rain advisories, meaning rainfall is expected to exceed 500 millimeters in 24 hours.

Torrential rain -- defined as accumulated rain exceeding 350 mm in 24 hours or 200 mm in three hours -- is expected in Hualien, Taitung, and mountainous areas in Kaohsiung and Yilan County, according to the CWA.

Extremely heavy rain is forecast in Yilan County, Nantou County, the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung, Orchid Island, Green Island and mountainous regions in New Taipei, Taoyuan and Taichung, meaning rainfall will exceed 200 mm in 24 hours or 100 mm in three hours, the CWA said.

Taipei, New Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Keelung City, Pingtung and mountainous areas in Hsinchu and Chiayi Counties will see heavy rain, with rainfall exceeding 80 mm in 24 hours or 40 mm in an hour, the CWA said.

As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, Ragasa's center was located about 350 kilometers southwest of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, according to the CWA.

It was moving west-northwest at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour (kph), packing maximum sustained winds of 198 kph and gusts up to 245 kph, according to CWA data.

Most Taiwan Railway services on the North Link Line, South Link Line and Taitung Line before midday Tuesday will be suspended.

The state-run railway corporation said that passengers with tickets originally scheduled for trains disrupted can apply for a refund free of handling fees at any station by presenting their unused tickets.