Two tropical systems in the northwest Pacific Ocean have the potential to turn into tropical storms, with one east of the Philippines possibly affecting Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
A tropical depression system in the South China Sea is moving west toward China’s Hainan Province, the bureau said, adding that the system might worsen and be upgraded into Tropical Storm Lingling.
The tropical depression, east of the Philippines might also gain strength and be upgraded into Tropical Storm Kaijiki, the bureau added.
If Tropical Storm Kaijiki forms next week and the Pacific high-pressure system retreats to the east, the storm is likely to move north along the edge of the high-pressure system, bureau forecaster Chen Yi-hsiu (陳依秀) said.
Further observation is needed to determine whether the storm would approach Taiwan, Chen said, adding that weather agencies around the world have made differing forecasts about the storm’s possible trajectory.
Low pressure in the South China Sea would cause the storm near the Philippines to move northward in a counterclockwise manner, affecting Taiwan, bureau deputy director Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典) said on Facebook.
Taiwan’s atmospheric environment is dominated by low-pressure systems, Cheng said, adding that changes in this large low-pressure area are key to determining the nation’s weather this week.
Cloudy to sunny skies are forecast over most of the nation today and tomorrow, with temperatures along the west coast topping other parts of the nation, the bureau said.
The chance of showers is high in the east and southeast, as well as the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島), the bureau said, adding that afternoon thundershowers are forecast for central and southern Taiwan and mountainous areas in the north and northeast.
From Wednesday to Saturday, showers or thundershowers are forecast in the nation’s south and southeast, while the chance of isolated showers or thundershowers is high in the east and northeast, the bureau said.
Cloudy skies and isolated thundershowers are forecast for the rest of the nation, it added.
There is also a third tropical system in the northwest Pacific, but it is far from Taiwan, WeatherRisk Co weather director Chia Hsin-hsing (賈新興) said.
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