Fanapi, which became a typhoon Thursday, is on track to strike Taiwan bySunday.Fanapi was still located about 440 miles east-southeast of Taipei, Taiwan, asof Friday morning, EDT.
At the time, Fanapi was a typhoon wielding highest sustained winds of 85 mph.
Movement was sluggish and mostly northward at less than 5 mph.
Satellite image: Navy Research Lab MontereyBut this sluggish behavior will give way to a committed westward drift thatwill culminate in a typhoon landfall upon eastern Taiwan between late Saturdayand Sunday.
Before reaching Taiwan, Fanapi will swipe Japan's small Sakishima Islands,which lie southwest of Okinawa.
As for Taiwan, damaging winds to 100 mph will strike the island nation, but thegreatest threat to life and property will be that stemming from its torrentialrainfall, which could exceed 20 inches along mountain slopes.
Destructive flooding and mudslides will be possible.
Beyond Taiwan, a weakened Fanapi will ram southeastern China, where it couldunleash flooding rain and mudslides early in the week.
Story by Rob Miller, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist
