Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau issued a land typhoon alert for Typhoon Dana, mentioning that areas south of Chiayi and Penghu may be included in the initial warning zone. It is expected that the intensity of this typhoon will slightly increase and the storm radius will expand.
According to the latest data released by the Central Weather Bureau, as of 9:00 pm today, Typhoon Dana’s center was located at 20.8 degrees north latitude and 117.9 degrees east longitude, approximately 330 kilometers southwest of Cape Eluanbi, moving at a speed of 10 to 20 kilometers per hour in a north-northeast to northeast direction. The central pressure was 992 hPa, with maximum sustained winds near the center at 23 meters per second (about 83 kilometers per hour), equivalent to a strength of 9 on the Beaufort scale, and maximum gusts of 30 meters per second (about 108 kilometers per hour), corresponding to level 11 winds. The radius of gale-force winds extends up to 80 kilometers on average (50 kilometers to the northwest, 100 kilometers to the northeast, 80 kilometers to the southwest, and 100 kilometers to the southeast).
The Central Weather Bureau stated that based on the current data, Typhoon Dana, the 4th typhoon of the season, was currently located in the sea southwest of Cape Eluanbi, moving in a northeast to east-northeast direction, posing a threat to areas south of Chiayi and Penghu. The intensity of the typhoon is expected to slightly increase with a tendency for the storm radius to expand.
The areas under land typhoon warning include Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Hengchun Peninsula, and Penghu, urging residents to be on high alert. The maritime areas under warning include Dongsha Islands, Bashi Channel, and Taiwan Strait, advising ships to exercise caution during navigation and operations.
The Central Weather Bureau issued a heavy rain warning due to the influence of Typhoon Dana’s outer circulation and vigorous afternoon convective cloud development. Today, there is a possibility of localized heavy rain or torrential rain in Changhua County and Yunlin County. Areas south of Miaoli, Taitung (including Orchid Island and Green Island), the Hengchun Peninsula, and mountainous areas of Hualien may experience localized heavy rain. People are warned to be cautious of lightning and strong gusts, and to be vigilant against landslides and rockfalls in mountainous regions, as well as potential flooding in low-lying areas.
Furthermore, the Central Weather Bureau issued a strong wind warning for land areas, stating that starting from tonight until the 6th of the month, there is a probability of average winds of level 9 or above and gusts of level 11 or above occurring in localized areas of Penghu County (orange alert). New Taipei City, areas south of Changhua, eastern regions (including Orchid Island and Green Island), Kinmen County, and Lienchiang County may experience average winds of level 6 or above and gusts of level 8 or above in localized areas (yellow alert). Residents are advised to take precautions.
The Central Weather Bureau also cautioned that there is a chance of swells occurring in coastal areas of central and southern Taiwan, southeastern regions (including Orchid Island and Green Island), the Hengchun Peninsula, Penghu, Kinmen, as well as waves increasing gradually to over 3 meters in Bashi Channel, the southern part of Taiwan Strait, southeastern Taiwan, and Penghu waters. Particularly in the southwest and coastal areas of Penghu, waves could reach heights of over 5 meters, so it is recommended to avoid seaside activities.