TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) predicts that Typhoon In-Fa (烟花) will come closest to Taiwan from this evening (July 23) to Saturday morning (July 24), during which time rainfall will intensify in the northern part of the country.
As of 8 a.m. today, In-Fa was located 420 kilometers southeast of Taipei and moving north-northwest at a speed of 8 kilometers per hour, according to the CWB. It had a radius of 200 km and was packing maximum sustained winds of 144 kph with gusts of up to 180 kph.
Sea warning issued by CWB for Typhoon In-Fa. (CWB image)
With the periphery of Typhoon In-Fa continuing to impact Taiwan, the CWB at 2:00 a.m. this morning released an extremely heavy rain advisory for Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, and Yilan County. It also issued a heavy rain advisory for Keelung City, Hsinchu City, and Taichung City.
During a CWB broadcast this morning, forecaster Lin Ping-yu (林秉煜) said that after loitering to the east of Taiwan on Thursday (July 22), In-Fa had accelerated to 8 kph overnight. Lin predicted that today, the storm will further accelerate to 13 kph as it moves west-northwest.
JTWC map of Typhoon In-Fa’s predicted path.
Precipitation
Lin said that as the storm veers to the north today, the storm’s wind circle will enter waters off the northern, eastern, and southeastern coasts. From Wednesday (July 21) to today, northern Taiwan has seen the majority of the precipitation from the outer bands of the tropical cyclone.
Over this period, Hsinchu County has reported the greatest amount of rainfall with 413 millimeters, followed by Miaoli County with 321 mm, Yilan County with 292 mm, Taoyuan with 294 mm, and New Taipei City with 240 mm. Lin added that areas of Taichung City and Changhua City have also reported heavy rain over the past two days.
JMA map of Typhoon In-Fa’s predicted path.
He stressed that this pattern of heavy rain will continue today and intensify from around 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Saturday, when the typhoon is at its closest. Lin predicted that rain is likely across the country throughout the day today, with extremely heavy rain probable in the north and mountainous central and southern areas.
Wave height
Lin said that waves have continued to increase in size, with coastal areas of Matsu and Hualien reporting waves over four meters high. He warned that as the storm’s wind circle nears coastal areas, northern and eastern Taiwan could see waves in excess of six meters.
Lin strongly advised the public to avoid any activities near coastal areas today and Saturday.
CWB Map of Typhoon In-Fa’s predicted path.
Wind force
As In-Fa draws closer, areas of central and southern Taiwan have already reported a wind level of 6 on the Beaufort scale. Lin said that the Hengchun Peninsula and the north coast of Keelung have reported level 10 winds.
During the day, Lin predicts level 8 winds in the west, northeast, and the outer islands of Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. Lin predicted that winds will be even more intense in Yilan, New Taipei City, and Keelung as the typhoon comes even closer to this evening.
Map showing intensity of winds around Typhoon In-Fa. (Windy.com screenshot)
On Saturday morning, Yilan, New Taipei City, and Keelung will continue to see stronger winds. That same day, the Hengchun Peninsula could also see level 8 and 10 winds.
Lin said that the local topography in some areas could add to the strength of the winds and called on the public to exercise caution when venturing over the next 24 hours.
Animated image of Western Pacific. (NOAA gif)
