TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Multiple weather agencies are currently forecasting that Typhoon Koinu (小犬) will make landfall in southern Taiwan on Thursday (Oct. 5), and though its trajectory may change, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) will likely issue a sea warning and land warnings within the next 24 hours.
At 10 a.m., Typhoon Koinu was approximately 900 kilometers southeast of Taiwan, moving northwest at 11 kph, according to the CWB. It had a 200 km radius and was packing maximum sustained winds of 144 kph and gusts of up to 180 kph.
The CWB projected path for Koinu shows it will make landfall in the Hengchun Peninsula on Thursday before entering the waters southwest of Kaohsiung City on Friday (Oct. 6). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) currently estimates that the typhoon will be in Pingtung County by Thursday, with the eye of the storm on a path to move just south of Kaohsiung City.
JTWC map shows Koinu hitting southern Taiwan on Thursday. (JTWC image)
The Japan Meteorological Association (JMA) predicts that Koinu will make landfall in Taitung County on Thursday morning, passing across Pingtung County and Kaohsiung City, before heading into the Taiwan Strait on Friday. The average path of the European ensemble model shows the typhoon moving across Taitung, Pingtung, and Kaohsiung.
Based on the current CWB model, the strongest effects of the typhoon will be felt in Taiwan throughout the day on Thursday and early Friday morning. Taitung, Hualien County, and the Hengchun Peninsula are predicted to experience the greatest impact of the storm, followed by Pintung, Kaohsiung, Tainan City, Yilan County, Keelung City, Greater Taipei, and Taoyuan City.
JMA shows Koinu making landfall across much of Taiwan on Thursday. (JMA image)
As for office and school closures, WeatherRisk meteorologist Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) on his Facebook page on Monday advised the public to monitor the weather forecasts. Peng said that if a given area is forecast to fall within the storm circle of the typhoon, closures will likely be announced.
FTV weather anchor Lin Chia-kai (林嘉愷) predicted that rain and wind will grow in intensity on Wednesday evening (Oct. 4). Lin forecasted that Hualien, Taitung, and central and southern Taiwan will be within the typhoon's storm circle.
ECMWF ensemble shows Koinu making landfall in southern Taiwan. (ECMWF image)
Satellite image of Typhoon Koinu. (NOAA GIF)
