TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象署) issued a sea warning for Typhoon Podul (楊柳) at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday (Aug. 12), alerting coastal areas to dangerous conditions ahead. The weather agency warned residents along Keelung's north coast, Taiwan's eastern regions, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) to prepare for potentially destructive high waves. Podul represents the latest threat in what has become an increasingly active typhoon season for the island democracy.
Dangerous swell waves threaten to batter Keelung's north coast over Tuesday and Wednesday (Aug. 12-13), with eastern regions bearing the brunt of Podul's maritime assault. Remote islands including Orchid Island (蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島), along with the Hengchun Peninsula and Matsu (馬祖), face heightened wave activity as the storm approaches. Wave heights in the eastern seas and strategic Bashi Channel (巴士海峽) will surge to 2 to 3 meters (6.6 to 9.8 feet) by Tuesday night.
The CWA escalated concerns Tuesday with a strong wind advisory, warning that Taitung County, including Green Island, could face devastating winds averaging level 12 on the Beaufort scale (117 kmh) or destructive gusts exceeding level 14 (150 kmh) Wednesday. Other vulnerable areas, including Orchid Island, Changhua County, and Yunlin County, may endure winds averaging over level 9 (88 kmh) or dangerous gusts over level 11 (103 kmh). Northern population centers including Keelung City and Taipei City face moderate winds averaging over level 6 (50 kmh) or gusts over level 8 (74 kmh).
Typhoon Podul currently churns about 800 kilometers (497 miles) southeast of Taitung, advancing west-northwest at 25 kmh (15.5 mph) with a menacing level 7 gale radius of 120 kilometers (75 miles). Latest forecasts predict the storm will intensify slightly while its destructive radius expands, potentially affecting larger swaths of Taiwan's eastern coastline. The typhoon's trajectory and strengthening pattern suggest Wednesday could bring the most severe conditions to the island. ◼