Typhoon Kong-rey has been upgraded to a severe typhoon by the Central Weather Administration (CWA). By 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the storm center was 470 kilometers southeast of Eluanbi, Taiwan’s southern tip. Maximum wind speeds near the storm center have intensified to 53 meters per second, with the storm’s radius now expanding to 320 kilometers.
In response, the CWA has extended the typhoon land warning area. A total of 18 counties and cities are now under warning including Taichung, Nantou, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Yilan, and others. A sea warning also remains in effect for the Taiwan Strait, eastern Taiwan waters, the Bashi Channel, and the Dongsha Island area.
Rainfall in Taipei’s Qingtiangang has already reached 250 millimeters. The CWA predicts that between 2 p.m. Wednesday and 2 p.m. Thursday, lowland areas in Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung could see rainfall totals between 300 and 490mm. New Taipei is forecasted to receive between 200 and 340 mm. Mountainous regions are set to be hit hardest, with forecasts predicting 400 to 600 mm in the Yilan and Hualien mountain ranges and 300 to 490 mm in the Taitung mountains.