Typhoon Bawei approaches Taiwan, triggering widespread alerts for heavy rain and strong winds

Moderate Typhoon Bawei is on a collision course with Taiwan, triggering land and sea alerts across 13 counties and cities. The Central Weather Administration issued its latest warnings early Friday, indicating the typhoon's center was located approximately 360 kilometers southeast of Taipei. Moving northwest at 27 kilometers per hour, its storm radius has already made landfall in northern, northeastern, and eastern Taiwan, posing a threat to areas including Changhua, Nantou, eastern Taiwan, and Matsu. Areas under land alert include New Taipei City, Keelung, Taipei, Yilan, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Hualien, Changhua, Nantou, Taitung, and Matsu. The weather agency forecasts that Friday will experience the most significant impacts from the typhoon and its outer bands, with widespread heavy to torrential rainfall expected. Northern Taiwan and the mountainous regions of central Taiwan are particularly susceptible to extreme downpours. Residents are urged to stay updated on the latest typhoon information and forecasts and to complete necessary preparations. Temperatures are expected to be high in eastern Taiwan, reaching 33-34 degrees Celsius due to the typhoon's subsidence effect, with potential for localized temperatures above 36 degrees in the Hualien-Taitung valley and Matsu. Other regions will see slightly cooler temperatures, around 28-31 degrees, due to rainfall. The agency also warned of long waves along the northern and eastern coasts of Taiwan, as well as the Hengchun Peninsula and Matsu, with wave heights potentially exceeding 6 meters in some areas. Coastal activities are strongly discouraged. Air quality is expected to be generally good due to rain washing away pollutants and better horizontal diffusion. However, strong winds in eastern Taiwan might cause dust. Looking ahead, the weather will remain unstable on Sunday as the typhoon moves away, with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible. The pattern of unstable weather with chances of localized heavy rain, particularly in the afternoons, is expected to continue into the following week.