TAIWAN — Typhoon Danas continues to intensify as it approaches Taiwan, prompting the Central Weather Administration (CWA) to issue a land typhoon warning at 8:30 PM today, July 5. The initial warning covers Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, the Hengchun Peninsula, and Penghu, signaling that the storm’s strength and reach are expanding.
According to the CWA, the center of Typhoon Danas was located at 20.8 degrees north latitude and 117.9 degrees east longitude as of 8:00 PM, approximately 330 kilometers southwest of Eluanbi. The storm is currently moving north-northeast to northeast at a speed of 10 to 20 kilometers per hour. Forecast models suggest that its intensity will increase slightly, accompanied by a gradual expansion of its storm radius.
The agency warned that Danas poses a direct threat to areas south of Chiayi and to the Penghu Islands. While the main trajectory of the typhoon remains northward through the Taiwan Strait, there remains a possibility of the path shifting eastward, which could intensify the storm’s impact on the island.
Affected Regions and Weather Alerts
The land warning currently includes:
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Chiayi County
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Tainan City
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Kaohsiung City
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Pingtung County
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Hengchun Peninsula
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Penghu County
The sea warning covers:
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Waters around Dongsha Island
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The Bashi Channel
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Taiwan Strait
Liu Yuqi, Director of the Real-Time Forecast Division at the CWA, emphasized that southern and southeastern Taiwan, including Taitung and the Hengchun Peninsula, should expect heavy wind and rain tonight, with the storm circle projected to make landfall between Chiayi and Penghu by tomorrow afternoon (July 6).
Peak Impact Expected Sunday Night to Monday Morning
Liu added that Typhoon Danas will have its strongest impact from Sunday night (6th) through Monday morning (7th). During this period, the storm is expected to bring intermittent torrential rainfall and strong gusts across both eastern and western Taiwan. The wind and rain are expected to begin tapering off Monday afternoon as the typhoon moves away from the island.
Ongoing Updates on Work and Class Suspensions
As of this writing, Chiayi County has announced the suspension of work and classes for Saturday, July 6. Other counties and cities are expected to release their announcements based on updated forecasts.
The Central Weather Administration urges the public to stay tuned to official channels for the latest updates and to take precautionary measures, especially in vulnerable coastal and mountainous areas.
