Tropical Storm Fung-Wong to make landfall in southern Taiwan Wednesday

Taipei, Nov. 11 (CNA) Tropical Storm Fung-Wong is expected to make landfall in southern Taiwan on Wednesday evening before moving back out to sea off Taitung County on Thursday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The storm is forecast to make landfall in Kaohsiung or Pingtung either Wednesday evening or night and then exit Taiwan through the southeastern county of Taitung early Thursday, CWA forecaster Chu Mei-lin (朱美霖) said Tuesday.

The timing of the landfall is slightly later than previously forecast because the storm veered more to the west than had been anticipated before resuming its northward direction, Chu said.

She warned that Fung-Wong will bring heavy rain, particularly to northern and eastern Taiwan, and central and southern Taiwan could also see brief bouts of intense rainfall as the storm approaches.

As of noon Tuesday, the center of the storm was located about 340 kilometers southwest of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, and moving north-northeast to northeast at a speed of 11 kilometers per hour, the CWA said.

It was carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 108 kph and gusts of 137 kph, compared with 119 kph and 155 kph, respectively, recorded at around 7 a.m. when Fung-Wong was still classified as a typhoon.

(Graphic source: CWA)

The storm's outer rain and wind bands began affecting southern and southeastern Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon, including Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Taitung, and the Hengchun Peninsula.

Fung-Wong is expected to continue to weaken, however, with its storm radius steadily shrinking, the CWA said.