Taiwan braces for devastation from Typhoon Nepartak with up to 750 mm of rainfall predicted

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

July 7,2016; 9:00PM,EDT

 

Typhoon Nepartak will bear down on Taiwan with life-threatening flooding rain and destructive winds into Friday. Threats to eastern China will then follow.
Nepartak rapidly intensified into a super typhoon early Wednesday local time with sustained winds reaching 278 km/h (173 mph).

While Nepartak weakened slightly prior to reaching Taiwan, residents should not let their guard down. Nepartak will still be a dangerous typhoon and pose extreme risks to lives and property as it crosses Taiwan through Friday.
Nepartak made landfall about 5 miles southwest of Taitung City, Taiwan, shortly before 7 a.m. local time Friday, with estimated winds around 201 km/h (125 mph).
Southeastern and east-central Taiwan will bear the brunt of Nepartak. These areas will face excessive rainfall of 250-500 (10-20 inches). Destructive winds of 160-210 km/h (100-130 mph) will blast places in the vicinity of where Nepartak comes onshore.
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Locally, 760 mm (30 inches) of rain could fall in the mountains, triggering life-threatening flooding and mudslides.
The northeastern mountains of Taiwan will also be subject to 150-300 mm (6-12 inches) of excessive and flooding rainfall.
Taipei will escape the worst of Nepartak but will be at risk from the outer rain bands. Gusts of 65-95 km/h (40-60 mph) and 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) of rain are possible. Localized flash flooding and sporadic wind damage can result.
Typhoon Nepartak churning across the West Pacific, courtesy of NOAA.
The mountainous terrain of Taiwan will cause Nepartak to weaken as it crosses the island. Nepartak should be the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane when it emerges back over water west of Taiwan on Friday afternoon.
The southwestern communities of Taiwan from Kaohsiung City to Tainan City to Chiayi City will face damaging wind gusts of 110-160 km/h (70-100 mph) prior to Nepartak's departure. Rainfall in these areas will total 150-300 mm (6-12 inches) into Saturday.
Schools and offices will be closed Friday in all cities and counties in Taiwan, except for Kinmen and Matsu, according to Focus Taiwan.
Heavy rain and strong winds will then spread along the eastern China coastal plain on Friday afternoon and into Saturday as Nepartak makes its second and final landfall.
Nepartak is expected to move inland in the vicinity of Xiamen and Quanzhou as a minimal typhoon on Friday night.
The worst impacts in eastern China will be in Fujian Province. Residents should prepare for flash flooding as well as widespread tree damage, power outages and sporadic structural damage. There will also be coastal flooding near and east of Nepartak's landfall point.
"Typhoon-force winds will be common near the coast, and 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) of rain will cause flooding," AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Douty said. Gusts will generally average 95-135 km/h (60-85 mph).

Bands of locally flooding rain will also push into Zhejiang Province as Nepartak approaches the coast. The heavy rain will then spread to Jiangxi Province this weekend as the typhoon tracks farther inland, rapidly weakening to a tropical rainstorm in the process.
"As the system weakens, winds will become a lesser concern and flooding rainfall will be the main concern," Douty said.
Nepartak, as a tropical rainstorm, is expected to fizzle over eastern China early next week likely before spreading its downpours to the areas devastated by deadly flooding last week.
While the center of Nepartak will not approach Japan, southern and western areas may receive heavy rain early next week.
While Nepartak ended the tropical cyclone drought in the basin, it is not expected to be followed by a flurry of tropical activity.
"The window for development looks to slam shut by this weekend," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said. "Then, I do not see much opportunity [for further development] until late July."
Content contributed by Meteorologist Eric Leister.