Typhoon In-fa is picking up speed as it tracks north-northwest. Forecasters say there''s now less of a chance it will make a direct hit on Taiwan. But it will bring its strongest winds and rains from tonight, through to Saturday morning. Heavy rain advisories are in place for Northern Taiwan, as well as mountainous regions of Yilan County. Coastal areas should brace for rough waves and gale force winds. Let''s hear from a meteorologist.

Lin Ping-yu
CWB forecaster
With the typhoon moving in a northwesterly direction, we project that it will affect the entire northern half of the island until tomorrow morning. Particularly in mountainous regions, be on the alert for localized rains of a torrential scale or greater. Coastal areas will be hit by strong winds or strong waves, or both. From Saturday afternoon, the typhoon will start moving away in a northerly direction. But we’ll still see some effects from the southwesterly winds. The weather in central and southern regions will be volatile and prone to rain.

The Central Weather Bureau says southwesterly winds will sweep in on the heels of In-fa starting Sunday, bringing more heavy rains to the central and southern regions lasting till Wednesday.