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Forecasters expect three to five typhoons this year

Three to five typhoons are expected to hit Taiwan this year, slightly more than the historic average, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.

Daniel Wu (吳德榮), director of the bureau’s weather forecast center, said the number was in line with the average number of typhoons that hit over the past five years. An average of three typhoons affect Taiwan each year.

Wu said the “la Nina” effect, which lowers the temperature in the eastern Pacific Ocean, has weakened slightly this month. However, its residual influence in the atmosphere is causing a drop in temperatures in the mid-Pacific Ocean, while the temperature in the northwest Pacific Ocean is relatively higher.

“This means we are likely to see a few more typhoons this year,” he said.

Wu said that six typhoons had formed in the northwest Pacific Ocean since January. The number is slightly higher than the historic average of 4.5 over this period.

Heavy rain brought by typhoons could cause damage of up to NT$17 billion (US$559.7 million) this year, which would account for 85 percent of all damage caused by inclement weather, the bureau said.

Kaohsiung this year had the nation’s highest rainfall figure during the plum rain season between May and June, Wu said.

The city’s accumulated rainfall since last month reached 1,169.2mm, about 594mm higher than the average. By yesterday, the accumulated rainfall figure for Kaohsiung this month topped 1,083mm, a record high for a single month. Since last month, the accumulated rainfall figure in Taipei was 550.6mm, while Taichung had 505.8mm.

Wu said average temperatures during this year’s plum rain season were not as high as over the past few years.

The humid and hot weather in Taipei over the past few weeks has nothing to do with the plum rain season, Wu said.

“Taipei City is in a basin surrounded by mountains, which prevents the sea wind from coming in to adjust the temperature,” he said.
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