The Central Weather Bureau says Typhoon In-Fa will pass closest to Taiwan late on Friday evening into Saturday. Forecasters say that although the typhoon is unlikely to hit Taiwan directly, there will continue to be severe weather due to its close proximity.
In-Fa is currently approaching the waters off Taiwan’s north-east coast, after lingering for around twelve hours south of Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture.
Northern Taiwan began seeing particularly heavy rain starting on Wednesday. The weather bureau says Hsinchu County saw 400mm of rainfall, and that mountainous areas across Taiwan’s main island should be prepared for exceptionally heavy rain in the coming days.
Central Weather Bureau meteorologist Lin Ping-yu says it is unlikely that the bureau will declare a land warning. But he says there will be strong winds and large waves in coastal areas across Taiwan. He says authorities will probably lift their sea warning late on Saturday or early on Sunday.
Authorities are urging the public to stay away from Taiwan’s coasts in view of the extreme weather conditions.