The Central Weather Bureau yesterday warned of potentially extensive damage caused by torrential rain later this week, as a stationary front and the southwestern jet stream are forecast to arrive in Taiwan today.
Central Weather Bureau forecaster Lin Po-tung (林伯東) said the chances of showers are high along the west coast today as the stationary front approaches the nation.
Afternoon thunderstorms are also expected in Taitung and Hualien counties, he added.
Starting tomorrow, showers and thunderstorms are forecast nationwide due to the joint influence of the stationary front and the southwestern jet stream, Lin said.
West coast residents in particular should be prepared for potential flooding caused by extremely heavy or torrential rain, he said.
Based on the bureau’s definition, a region suffers extremely heavy rain when accumulated rainfall measures 200mm within 24 hours, while torrential rain refers to accumulated rainfall topping 350mm.
Asked whether the extensive rainfall would lead to more severe damage than the torrential rain that hit the nation less than two weeks ago, killing two people and causing flooding nationwide, Lin said that it would depend on how fast the front passes and its route.
The bureau forecast that the rainfall brought by the stationary front would continue until at least Sunday, and the front could stay until as late as Monday or Wednesday next week.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Merbok’s eye was forecast to make landfall in China last night.
Former bureau forecaster Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said that the tropical storm would not necessarily strengthen the stationary front.
“This stationary front is very typical for the plum rain season, which generally lasts for about a week. During this time, the chances of extreme weather and torrential rain rises as the southwestern jet stream becomes stronger,” Wu said.
“Tropical storms like Merbok are small in scope and do not have the power to affect larger weather patterns,” Wu added.
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