TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Typhoon Danas was upgraded from a tropical storm by the Central Weather Administration on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Coinciding with its increased strength, a land warning was expanded from six municipalities to 20, per CNA.
The typhoon's eye was 210 km southwest of Penghu and moving in a northeasterly direction at around 19-23 kph as of 1 p.m., according to CWA. The typhoon was also reported to have maximum sustained winds of 119 kph near its center, with gusts of up to 155 kph.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said wind and rain associated with Typhoon Danas intensified on Sunday afternoon, leading him to order evacuations of potential landslide areas such as Liugui, Taoyuan, Namasia, and Maolin. A total of 1,777 people are expected to be evacuated, per CNA.
Chen said that Kaohsiung would experience heavy rain from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. with total rainfall of 500 mm in the plains and 600 mm in the mountainous areas over three days. He called upon police to fine people who refuse to leave beach areas and urged the public to pay attention to various typhoon safety preparations.
In related news, Kaohsiung MRT said the CWA's estimated wind speeds exceeded standards for light rail operation as service will be suspended at 3 p.m. The Kaohsiung MRT will maintain a 15-minute off-peak interval throughout the day and a 20-minute interval during the night, per CNA.
Kaohsiung City Government is currently carrying out typhoon prevention operations, such as mobilizing manpower to strengthen pruning and support for roadside trees under its jurisdiction. Inspections of facilities such as street lights and switch boxes are also being carried out.
CWA meteorologist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) warned that coastal areas of central and southern Taiwan and Penghu could experience waves reaching more than five to six meters in height. The wave height near the center of the typhoon may be more than seven meters.
Kaohsiung, Tainan, Pingtung, and Chiayi counties have declared Sunday a typhoon day with the suspension of classes, and ferry service to Kinmen has also been suspended. Many international flights from Kaohsiung have also been canceled.
As for northern Taiwan and the cancellation of classes and work, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said a meeting will be held with mayors of New Taipei, Keelung, and Taoyuan before a final decision is made around Sunday at 8 p.m.
