TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Typhoon Podul delivered its most devastating blow to Taiwan Wednesday (Aug. 13) as the storm's eye wall struck the eastern coastline, with landfall expected around noon in Taitung County. Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典), former director of the Central Weather Administration (CWA, 氣象局), Taiwan's national weather service, posted radar images on Facebook showing the typhoon's dense rainbands. The meteorologist warned of the storm's rapid movement, which threatened to unleash intense rainfall and destructive gusts across the island.
The weather service reported that the most destructive winds and rainfall struck during daylight hours, battering eastern Taiwan, regions south of Chiayi, and the outlying Penghu islands. Hualien, Taitung, and southern mountainous areas faced an extremely high probability of torrential downpours that could trigger flash floods and landslides. Northern regions including Yunlin, along with the offshore islands of Kinmen and Matsu (馬祖), endured scattered showers and thunderstorms, with mountainous areas particularly vulnerable to heavy rainfall.
Meteorologists tracked the typhoon's center moving west of Penghu by evening before advancing toward mainland China while gradually losing strength. Taiwan's main island was expected to experience diminishing winds and rainfall Wednesday (Aug. 13) night as the storm system moved away. However, the outlying islands of Penghu and Kinmen remained under severe weather conditions, facing continued battering from the typhoon's trailing bands. ◼
