Land, sea warnings for Typhoon Bavi lifted: CWA

Taipei, July 12 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) lifted its land and sea warnings for Typhoon Bavi on Sunday morning as the storm weakened and moved away from Taiwan, after bringing heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the country.

The land warning was lifted at 5:30 a.m., followed by the sea warning at 8:30 a.m., the CWA said.

As of 8 a.m., Bavi's center was about 410 kilometers north of Matsu Islands and was moving northwest before turning north, with its speed slowing from 21 kilometers per hour (kph) to 13 kph, according to the CWA.

Bavi had weakened to a tropical storm, while its storm radius had contracted to the point that it no longer threatened waters north of Taiwan, the agency said.

CWA forecaster Lin Po-tung (林伯東) said at a news briefing Sunday morning that rainfall brought by Bavi was particularly heavy across western Taiwan and in mountainous areas nationwide, especially in the north.

Cumulative rainfall reached 770.5 millimeters in Miaoli County, 743 mm in Hsinchu County and 608 mm in Taichung, according to Lin.

As of 7 p.m. Saturday, Typhoon Bavi had left 113 people injured in Taiwan, including five foreign nationals, according to data from the Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC).

The injuries included abrasions, lacerations and fractures. Many of those injured had been discharged from hospital, and no deaths or other major casualties were reported, the CEOC said.