Dr. Tashiana Osborne

Powerful Typhoon Soulik continues moving northwest toward the northern tip of Taiwan. As of 2100 UTC (4 pm EDT), this immense tropical system has reached Category 4 status with maximum sustained winds of 115 knots (132 mph/213 kph) and higher gusts. It is likely to reach Super Typhoon status with winds exceeding 137 knots (157 mph/252 kph) later this week. As announced by CNNi Meteorologist Tom Sater, Soulik is expected to hit Taiwan by Friday morning and China on Saturday. These intense winds could cause tremendous damage leading to blackouts and heavy flooding, thus warnings for this region have been issued.