TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — While Typhoon Nesat is expected to remain south of Taiwan, its effect on Taiwan was and will continue to be reinforced by strong northeasterly winds, the Central Weather Bureau reported on Sunday (Oct. 16).
As of 8:40 a.m., the typhoon was located 290 kilometers south of Eluanbi, Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving westward towards Pratas Island. The typhoon’s maximum sustained winds near the center were recorded at 25 meters per second and its radius was 150 km.
The CWB expects both the strength and radius of the storm to increase, and asks the public to exercise caution.
Between Saturday midnight (Oct. 15) and Sunday morning, Taiwan’s northern and eastern regions saw heavy rains. Taipei City recorded the most cumulative rainfall, with 754 milliliters recorded in Shilin District; Yilan County placed second with 658 mm recorded in Datong Township; Hsinchu County placed third with 381.5 mm recorded in Jianshi Township.
The Yangmingshan National Park headquarters reported that mudflows and landslides occurred on Yangmingshan on early Saturday morning near Zhuzihu and on Yangjin Highway. It urged those planning to visit to refrain from going up the mountain and annulled the nature reserve permits it had issued dated from Saturday onward.
As of Sunday morning, all regions in Taiwan were covered by rain clouds, the CWB reported. The greater Taipei area and Yilan County will continue to see torrential rain while central and south Taiwan may see sporadic rain in the next 24 hours.
Although the typhoon’s speed is accelerating, it is moving southwest away from Taiwan, so the CWB may lift the sea warning by Sunday evening. However, the CWB noted that even as Typhoon Nesat passes, winds across Taiwan will continue to strengthen due to the northeastern monsoon.
On Monday (Oct. 17) and Tuesday (Oct. 18), coastal areas in central Taiwan as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu may see maximum wind gusts up to 32.6 m per second while areas north of Tainan and the east coast may see maximum wind gusts up to 24.4 m per second.
The Yangmingshan National Park headquarter urges visitors to refrain from going up the mountain during stormy weather. (Facebook, Yangmingshan National Park photo)
