Land warning for Typhoon Bavi issued (Update)

Taipei, July 10 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has issued a land warning for Typhoon Bavi, which is expected to have its greatest impact on Taiwan from Friday evening through Saturday.

The warning was issued at 5:30 a.m. Friday. As of 8 a.m., the eye of Bavi was located about 700 kilometers east of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, and was moving northwest at 25 kilometers per hour, the CWA said.

The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kph, with gusts of up to 198 kph. Bavi had a storm radius of about 380 kilometers, according to the CWA.

CWA forecaster Lin Po-tung (林伯東) said rainfall is expected to increase in mountainous areas of northern, central and southern Taiwan later in the day, with the heaviest precipitation forecast from Friday night through Saturday.

Lin said torrential rain is expected over the next 24 hours in northern Taiwan, including New Taipei and Yilan, Miaoli and Hsinchu counties, with accumulated rainfall possibly exceeding 350 millimeters.

Mountainous areas of central Taiwan and Hualien County in the east could also experience localized torrential rain, while mountainous areas of southern Taiwan may see localized heavy rain, Lin said.

He warned that although Bavi has continued to weaken since Thursday night and its storm radius is expected to shrink slightly as it approaches Taiwan, members of the public should remain alert to increasing rainfall and strengthening winds, even though conditions have yet to become severe.

Lin said Taiwan's east coast had seen significantly higher waves over the previous eight hours, with waves of 6 meters or more recorded in Taitung County's Chenggong Township and on Lanyu, also known as Orchid Island.

Meanwhile, winds are also expected to strengthen. Northern Taiwan could experience gusts of 75-117 kph from Friday night through late Saturday, while gusts of 62-88 kph are possible elsewhere, he added.