Impact of Typhoon Bavi on Taiwan to peak Friday, Saturday: CWA

Taipei, July 7 (CNA) Torrential rain brought by Typhoon Bavi is forecast to affect Taiwan most severely on Friday and Saturday, prompting authorities to urge ditch cleanups and place 29,000 troops on disaster prevention standby.

As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, the center of the typhoon was located approximately 1,930 kilometers east-southeast of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost tip, moving in a west-northwesterly direction at 25 kilometers per hour, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Typhoon Bavi is showing signs of weakening as it approaches Taiwan, though it is still expected to maintain the intensity of a typhoon, according to CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒).

The typhoon maintains a 350-kilometer radius, covering a wide area, Lee said.

If its path does not shift significantly, authorities could issue a sea warning on Thursday, followed by a land warning between Thursday evening and Friday morning, he added.

The typhoon is expected to make its closest approach to Taiwan between Friday and Saturday, with the highest probability being that it passes through waters off Taiwan's northeast coast or the northern sea area, according to the CWA.

Significant rainfall is expected on Friday and Saturday across central and northern Taiwan, the northeast, and the mountainous areas of Nantou County and Hualien County, the CWA added.

Residents should be on alert for heavy or torrential rain, with the potential for "extremely torrential" rainfall in mountainous areas north of Taichung, the agency said.

Earlier Tuesday, Cabinet Secretary‑General Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said in a Facebook post that local governments are being urged to step up ditch cleanups ahead of Typhoon Bavi, which is forecast to bring more than 1,000 millimeters of rain.

Meanwhile, Chang noted that the government has placed 28,922 troops on standby to carry out flood prevention measures, disaster relief work and rescue missions.