Tropical Storm Atsani made landfall in southern Taiwan on Friday morning. The storm is currently in the Bashi Channel to the south of Taiwan, and heading towards the Pratas Islands to the west.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau says it expects rainfall and wind to strengthen in the country’s southern counties. Residents of the southern cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan have been told to brace for stormy conditions Friday night.
Atsani is the 20th Pacific typhoon of the year. As of 11:00AM Friday, the center of the storm was located 100 kilometers south-southwest of Taiwan’s southernmost point, Eluanbi. It was traveling at approximately 11 kilometers-per-hour in a west-northwesterly direction.
Meteorologists say more observation is needed before they can determine whether the storm will head further north and hit more of Taiwan.