![\"Typhoon](\"https:\/\/blogs.agu.org\/landslideblog\/files\/2015\/08\/15_08-Soudelour-1-e1438846303523.jpg\")
<\/a>JTWC<\/a> via Google Earth<\/p><\/div>\n .<\/p>\n The current forecast track takes Typhoon Soudelor straight across Central Taiwan, which is both mountainous and very landslide prone:<\/p>\n JTWC<\/a> via Google Earth<\/p><\/div>\n .<\/p>\n Of course there is a great deal of uncertainty about the track at present, but a direct hit on Taiwan looks likely.\u00a0 Whilst the focus in terms of typhoon meteorology remains on wind, damage in typhoons is really caused primarily by water.\u00a0 This is especially the case in Taiwan.\u00a0 The extreme rainfall totals generated by typhoons combined with the steep mountain front in eastern Taiwan (which is both landslide prone and generates orographic intensification of rainfall) means that the landslide potential for Typhoon Soudelor is very high. \u00a0\u00a0 In 1996 Typhoon Herb<\/a> followed a similar, but slightly more northerly, track.\u00a0 When it came ashore in northern Taiwan, as a Category 4 typhoon, it generated truly epic rainfall totals – a monitoring station at Alishan in Central Taiwan recorded 1987 mm of rainfall associated with the typhoon.\u00a0 Fortunately Typhoon Soudelor will be a little weaker than this when it makes landfall, but still has the potential to generate very large rainfall totals.\u00a0 A great deal will depend on the rate of movement – at the moment the typhoon is forecast to pass over the island reasonably quickly, but if it stalls, as per Typhoon Morakot in 2009<\/a>, then the rainfall levels have the potential to be very large.<\/p>\n After passing across Taiwan the typhoon will make landfall in China.\u00a0 Although weakened by the interaction with land, it has the potential to generate very large rainfall totals there as well.<\/p>\n![\"Typhoon](\"https:\/\/blogs.agu.org\/landslideblog\/files\/2015\/08\/15_08-Soudelour-2-e1438846472968.jpg\")
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