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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Brunt of storm expected today
A fisherman handles a rope near a fishing boat as waves crash over a breakwater in Yilan County yesterday, as Typhoon Bavi moves toward northeastern Taiwan. Photo: I-Hwa Cheng, AFP
/ Staff writer, with agencies
Typhoon Bavi was expected to have its strongest impact on Taiwan from last night through daytime today, with its storm circle forecast to reach areas from New Taipei City’s northeast coast to Yilan and Hualien counties early today, the Central Weather Administration （CWA） said yesterday.
As of 6pm yesterday, the center of the typhoon was about 590km east of Taiwan’s southernmost tip at Oluanpi （鵝鑾鼻）, moving northwest at 26kph, the CWA said.
The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 155kph near its center, with gusts reaching 191kph. It had a radius of 380km.
A land warning, issued at 5:30am yesterday, remains in effect for 14 cities and counties, covering areas from Changhua northward to eastern Taiwan and the outlying islands of Matsu.
Sea warnings cover waters north of Taiwan, the northern Taiwan Strait, waters off northeastern and southeastern Taiwan, and the Bashi Channel.
CWA Forecast Center official Lin Po-tung （林伯東） said the storm’s center is forecast to pass north of Taiwan, and its storm circle is expected to shrink slightly as it approaches, meaning not every part of Taiwan would necessarily be covered by the storm circle.
However, the storm circle is expected to reach land early today from New Taipei City’s northeast coast to Yilan and Hualien counties, while the typhoon itself is forecast to make its closest approach to Taiwan from around midday through this evening, Lin said.
Rainfall is expected to be heaviest from last night through daytime today. Northern Taiwan and mountainous areas in central Taiwan and Yilan could see torrential rain, with the possibility of “extremely torrential rainfall” in some locations.
Other parts of Taiwan are also likely to experience heavy rain as the storm’s rainbands move across the nation.
Strong winds are also expected to intensify. Coastal areas could see gusts of more than 75kph starting last night, while inland areas might experience gusts of more than 50kph.
During the day, the strongest winds are expected to spread further inland, including parts of northern Taiwan and Pingtung County.
Lin said the Taipei Basin is likely to experience its strongest winds from this afternoon into the evening, with gusts of more than 75kph, while areas closer to the storm center along the north coast could be pummeled by gusts exceeding 118kph.
Waves along Taiwan’s east coast have already reached 9m, the CWA said.
Through this evening, 4m to 7m waves are forecast in waters north and east of Taiwan and in the northern Taiwan Strait, while seas near the typhoon’s center could exceed 10m.
Except for Taitung County and Kinmen, all cities and counties have declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes.
President William Lai （賴清德） urged people in areas likely to be most affected by Bavi to remain on high alert.
“Although the typhoon has weakened slightly and is now classified as a moderate typhoon, its extensive wind field might still bring strong winds and heavy rain to various areas,” Lai wrote on Facebook.
As of 2pm yesterday, evacuations nationwide totaled 2,050, the Central Emergency Operations Center said, mainly in the mountainous county of Hualien in Taiwan’s east where authorities are monitoring two barrier dams.
The military said its Third Theater Command has deployed AAV7 amphibious assault vehicles, rescue boats and special operations personnel to Yilan’s Suao （蘇澳）, and more than 9,000 troops are on standby, ready to provide disaster relief support anywhere in the nation.
The typhoon is expected to move toward China’s coast by early tomorrow, the CWA said.
However, because the warning area also covers Matsu, sea and land warnings for the whole of Taiwan are not likely to be lifted before early tomorrow morning.
Additional reporting by Yu Ming-chin
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
Residents of Guangfu Township in Hualien County rest inside a church turned into a temporary evacuation center in preparation for Typhoon Bavi yesterday. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA
The military’s AAV7 amphibious assault vehicles are on standby in Suao, Yilan County, yesterday. Photo: Yu Ming-chin, Taipei Times
