The Central Weather Bureau yesterday said that Tropical Storm Koppu could be downgraded to a tropical depression by the time it reaches Taiwan, but east coast residents should still be cautious because the combined effect of the storm and the northeast monsoon winds could bring a lot of rain.
Koppu was downgraded from a typhoon after making landfall on Luzon Island in the Philippines on Sunday and it could continue to weaken, the bureau said.
Bureau staff on Monday said that a sea alert might be issued last night, but forecaster Chen Yi-hsiu (陳伊秀) yesterday said that a sea alert would not be issued.
Photo: CNA
“The maximum wind speed near the center was reduced from 20 meters per second yesterday morning to 18 meter per second yesterday afternoon. The trend of a weakening storm is very apparent,” Chen said.
Koppu would be downgraded to a tropical depression if its wind speeds drop below 17.2 meters per second, the bureau said.
The bureau forecasts Koppu could move north along the east coast of Taiwan, bringing a high chance of rain along the coast as well as the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) over the next few days, while other areas of the nation are likely to see showers.
As of 2pm yesterday, the center of the storm was 330km south of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), moving northeast with a radius of 150km.
Daniel Wu (吳德榮), the former director of the bureau’s weather forecast center, said Koppu has a higher chance of moving north, but is less likely to strengthen as it makes its way from Luzon toward Taiwan because the stretch of ocean it must traverse contains less heat.
In related news, heavy rains deepened flood misery in farming and mountainous regions of the northern Philippines even as Koppu moved into the South China Sea.
Koppu has affected nearly 300,000 people across Luzon, the Philippine government’s disaster management agency said. A tally of national and local authorities’ figures show 22 people were killed in floods, landslides and boat accidents, as well as by flying debris.
Philippine officials said Koppu could cut back onto the far northern edge of Luzon this morning after picking up more water in the South China Sea.
Additional reporting by AFP
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