The 17th tropical storm of the season, Parma, formed yesterday morning near Guam and could disrupt plans for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
As Parma is moving in a northwesterly direction, it may affect Taiwan in the next few days, but because there are two more tropical low-pressure systems following behind it, it is still too early to say how it may affect the nation, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
The bureau warned of showers or heavy rain in the eastern and northern parts of the country.
PHOTO: CNA
Bureau forecaster Douglas Hsiao (蕭家森) said heavy rainfall is expected in the coming week. The heavy rainfall may ease tomorrow, although there would still be thick cloud cover.
On Saturday, which is the Moon Festival, rain or cloudy skies are expected in the north and east, with only western Taiwan having a chance of sunshine.
In related news, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expressed its condolences yesterday as it donated US$50,000 to the Philippine government to help victims of Typhoon Ketsana.
“In order to express our humanitarian concern and sympathy to the Philippine people, the foreign ministry immediately requested its representative office in Manila to inquire into the disaster and donated US$50,000 to help with the relief efforts,” the ministry said in a press release.
“We hope that the disaster areas will be rebuilt soon and residents will return to their normal lives as soon as possible,” it said.
Ketsana hit the Philippines last Saturday, killing more than 200 people, and forcing at least 375,000 people to flee their homes and take refuge in shelters. More than 1.8 million people were affected.
The Philippine government has declared a state of calamity in metropolitan Manila and 25 provinces.
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