Updated Sep. 30, 2019 9:41 PM
Typhoon Mitag continued to strengthen Tuesday morning, local time, as the storm tracked just north and east of Taiwan.
Mitag is currently producing winds equal to a Category 2 hurricane in Atlantic or East Pacific.
Mitag is expected to maintain its current intensity into Tuesday evening as it tracks near the east coast of China.
The worst conditions through Tuesday morning will be across the far southern Ryukyu Islands and northeast Taiwan where strong winds and heavy rainfall will continue.
As of early Tuesday morning, around 225 mm (9 inches) of rain had fallen on Iriomote Island with more than 100 mm (4 inches) in Ishigaki.
These islands also endured a prolonged period of winds in excess of 80 km/h (50 mph).
Taipei endured a prolonged period of downpours and strong winds as Mitag tracked just to the north and east; however, the city was spared the worst of the cyclone's impacts.
Bands of gusty rain will continue into Tuesday before conditions begin to improve during the afternoon.
Satellite animation of Typhoon Mitag on Monday.
Mitag will affect Shanghai and far eastern areas of the China coast into Tuesday night, local time. Shanghai should avoid the worst of Mitag and get a glancing blow with rain amounts of 50-100 m (2-4 inches) and wind gusts of 80 km/h (50 mph).
More devastating impacts are expected from Taizhou to Zhoushan along the coast.
After impacting China, a change in forward motion is expected as Mitag turns toward the northeast.
Image of Typhoon Mitag tracking east of Taiwan on Monday afternoon, local time. (Japan Meteorological Agency/Himawari-8 satellite)
This will take the powerful typhoon toward South Korea and the remainder of Japan.
The exact track and intensity of the storm will determine the severity of the impacts, but at this time a track over southern South Korea is expected with landfall forecast for Wednesday afternoon or evening.
Heavy rainfall will elevate the risk for flooding across all of South Korea. Damaging winds are possible in central and southern parts of the country with the greatest risk in the southwest.
From Thursday into Friday, the storm will weaken as it crosses the Sea of Japan (East Sea) and approaches northern Honshu and Hokkaido as a tropical storm and eventually a tropical rainstorm.
These areas will be at risk for flooding from late Thursday into Friday. The threat for damaging winds will be minimal as the storm weakens dramatically prior to reaching northern Japan.
Early last week, Mitag battered Guam with heavy rainfall and gusty winds as it developed into a tropical depression .
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