Fanapi become a typhoon Thursday and is on a collision course with Taiwan.Fanapi was the equivalent of a Category 3 Hurricane, as of Saturday morning,EDT, with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph (185 kph).
Some further strengthening is likely prior to landfall late Saturday night.
Damaging winds will tear across the island nation Saturday night and throughthe day Sunday, causing widespread damage to buildings and downing trees. Inaddition to the damaging winds, life-threatening flooding will occur as morethan 20 inches of rain will likely fall over the mountains.
By Sunday night, Fanapi will emerge over the Formosa Strait and head towardChina, though in a much weaker state.
A second landfall is expected by Monday morning over eastern China. Onceonshore over China, Fanapi will quickly weaken into a tropical storm. Fanapishould dissipate by Tuesday, but not before unleashing more than 10 inches ofrain and some damaging winds across eastern China. The rain could lead tolife-threatening mudslides.
Story by Rob Miller, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist
