Sea warning for Typhoon Bavi issued

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a sea warning for Typhoon Bavi at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, warning of heightened dangers in eastern areas and in the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan.

Typhoon Bavi is expected to bring strong winds, extremely heavy rainfall and rough seas to Taiwan on Friday and Saturday, with the heaviest rain forecast for mountainous areas and sustained winds of up to Beaufort scale 12 in northern Taiwan and offshore islands, an official said Thursday.

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, Bavi was located about 920 kilometers east-southeast of Taiwan and remained a typhoon with a storm radius of around 380 kilometers, according to CWA data.

The typhoon is moving in a north-northeastern direction at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour (kph), packing maximum sustained winds of 184 kph, the data showed.

The agency said the storm's outer rainbands will begin affecting Taiwan on Friday, with its storm circle reaching land Friday evening and its 10-level wind radius covering all of northern Taiwan on Saturday noon, CWA head Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) told a weekly Cabinet news conference.

Rainfall is expected to intensify Friday and peak on Saturday, with short-duration rain in mountainous areas reaching 600 to 900 millimeters, while low-lying areas could also see prolonged heavy rain capable of triggering flooding and landslides, Lu said.

Authorities also warned of waves exceeding 6 meters along parts of Taiwan's northern, western and eastern coasts on Saturday, with even higher waves possible near the typhoon's center. Northern Taiwan, the northeast and outlying islands could see sustained winds exceeding Beaufort scale 12, with stronger gusts possible in exposed areas, he said.

Powerful winds are forecast for Saturday, when the typhoon will be closest to Taiwan, with Beaufort scale 14 gusts possible in coastal parts of northern areas, he said.

The CWA is set to issue a land warning for the storm later Thursday afternoon, he said.

The impact of the typhoon is expected to weaken Saturday night, though its effects are likely to be most strongly felt on the outlying Matsu Islands on Saturday and Sunday, he said.

Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), during a weekly Cabinet meeting, urged government agencies and local authorities to remain on high alert, saying Friday and Saturday will be when the typhoon has the greatest impact on Taiwan.

The government has already held disaster preparedness meetings with all 22 local governments and postponed the university Advanced Subjects Test from July 11-12 to July 13-14 to ensure the safety of students and staff, he said.

The Ministry of National Defense has placed 28,922 troops on standby, while 24 helicopters, 3,355 military rescue vehicles and vessels, and 2,664 water pumps have been pre-positioned nationwide, said Feng Chun-yi (馮俊益), deputy director-general at the National Fire Agency.

Cho added that officials are also closely monitoring a landslide-dammed barrier lake in Hualien County's Wanli River basin, where heavy rainfall could trigger overflow, and have instructed local authorities to review evacuation plans, shelters and warning systems.