Taipei: The Central Weather Administration (CWA) announced on Saturday its plan to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa on Sunday morning, followed by a land warning at night as the storm approaches Taiwan.

According to Focus Taiwan, Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8 a.m. Saturday and is currently situated approximately 1,110 kilometers east-southeast of Eluanbi, the southernmost point of Taiwan. The typhoon is progressing northwest at a speed of 13 kilometers per hour, with sustained winds reaching up to 119 kph and gusts of 155 kph, as noted on the CWA website.

Forecaster Liu Pei-teng informed CNA that Ragasa is expected to strengthen while nearing the Bashi Channel. The storm's current radius of 200 km is anticipated to expand. Liu mentioned that gusts could escalate to 184 kph, potentially making Ragasa the strongest typhoon in the Northwest Pacific this year. Taiwan is expected to face significant impacts from the storm starting Monday and continuing through early Wednesday.

The forecast indicates that the storm will be closest to Taiwan on Monday night and Tuesday, with its wind radius potentially extending to 280-300 km. Liu advised residents in Hualien and Taitung counties to prepare for extremely heavy rain and high winds from Monday to Wednesday. Additionally, mountainous regions in Yilan County and the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area may experience heavy rainfall, with precipitation expected across the entire island.