TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As the rain bands of Typhoon Chanthu begin to roll in, northern and eastern Taiwan will see winds and rain, particularly in the afternoon.
At 8 a.m., Typhoon Chanthu was about 70 kilometers southeast of Hualien County, moving north at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour. It had a radius of 200 km and had maximum sustained winds of 162 kph and gusts of up to 198 kph, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) reported.
At 8:30 a.m., the CWB issued an extremely heavy rain advisory for three counties and a heavy rain advisory for eight counties and cities.
Wind radii probability map for Chanthu and Conson. (CWB image)
An extremely heavy rain advisory is in effect from this morning through the evening for Pingtung County, Yilan County, and Hualien County. A heavy rain advisory has been issued for the same period for Keelung City, Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Miaoli County, Taichung City, Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County, and Taitung County.
WeatherRisk Explore Inc. CEO Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said that in the morning eastern Taiwan will begin to see the wind and rain first. He predicted that it will not be until the afternoon that the storm's rainbands will begin to arrive in northern Taiwan, bringing heavy rain to the area.
Map of Typhoon Chanthu's projected path. (CWB image)
CWB forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said the rains will be more intense in Yilan County, Hualien County, and Pingtung County. He also predicted heavy rains in northern Taiwan, including Miaoli, Taoyuan, New Taipei, Taipei, Keelung, and Yilan, as well as Kaohsiung and Taitung.
The CWB predicts that from Saturday through Monday (Sept. 11-13), the total cumulative rainfall will reach 300-500 mm in New Taipei City and Yilan, 200-400 mm in Hualien County, and 150-300 mm in Keelung City, Taipei City, Pingtung County, and Taitung County.
Map of Typhoon Chanthu's projected path. (JTWC image)
As for wind speeds, the CWB forecasts gusts of Beaufort force winds up to level 12 on Green Island and Level 11 in Taitung before noon. The wind should pick up in the north during the afternoon, while decrease in the south, with Yilan seeing gusts of up to Level 12 and New Taipei Level 11.
Hsu forecast that Chanthu will gradually move away from Taiwan by Monday (Sept. 13), but that central and southern parts of the country could still experience some rain.
Satellite image of Typhoon Chanthu. (CWB image)
Satellite image of Typhoon Chanthu. (CWB image)
Radar image of Typhoon Chanthu. (CWB image)