Maximum wind speeds of up to 175 kilometres per hour is expected.
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Super Typhoon Meranti, which according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center had maximum sustained winds of 155 knots, or almost 180 miles per hour, as of Monday afternoon eastern time, has southern Taiwan and coastal China in its sights for the middle of the week.
With a radius of 200 kilometers, the storm was packing maximum sustained winds of about 183.6 kph, with gusts of up to 226.8 kph, bureau data shows.
Tropical Cyclone Meranti is expected to edge closer to the coast of southern China in the middle of this week, the Observatory said at noon on Monday.
In addition, a charter ship service between Taichung and Kinmen County, scheduled for 11pm tomorrow, will be canceled, the Kinmen County government said. From early in Wednesday morning and into Thursday, Meranti will touch the southern parts of the country.
Taiwan is expected to see the impact of Typhoon Meranti from Tuesday, as its outer bands will begin to bring showers to the island, the Central Weather Bureau said.
Apart from Meranti, there are two tropical depressions that have the potential of turning into tropical storms, the bureau said.
In the narrow ring of storms surrounding the eye, known as the “eye wall”, the storm may be capable of producing wind gusts of almost 215 miles per hour, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The forecast over the next few hours is to strengthen to sustained winds of 160 and gusts of some 195 mph.
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The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on September 15 this year, and Meranti could disrupt celebrations in Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong.
