The Central Weather Bureau yesterday said it expected a tropical depression, which hit the Philippine province of Ilocos Norte, to develop into Tropical Storm Wukong as it moves north toward Taiwan, and that a sea warning could be issued early this morning at the earliest.
Sustained winds of 55kph and gusts of up to 65kph were reported in the northern Philippines last night as the storm passed over the region. Tropical storm Ampil affected weather over northern Taiwan yesterday, and Wukong was expected to start affecting weather over southern Taiwan today, the bureau said.
After passing over the Bashi Channel, Wukong would likely move northeast, affecting the weather along the eastern coast, bureau forecaster Li Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said.
The bureau would continue to monitor developments and would announce a sea warning today if Wukong develops as expected, Li said.
Rainfall is expected in eastern and northern Taiwan tomorrow and Tuesday as a result of the storm, he said.
Meanwhile, Kaohsiung yesterday reported a rise in the price of crops due to the impending tropical storm and increased consumer demand over the weekend.
The market prices of most crops rose, averaging an increase of NT$29.7 per kilogram, a 0.7 percent increase over Friday’s average price NT$29.5 per kilogram, the Council of Agriculture reported.
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