The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday that it could issue a sea alert for Typhoon Matmo tonight and a land alert tomorrow as the storm approaches the southeast coast.
As of last night, the typhoon’s center was located about 1,310km off the southeast coast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) on the Hengchun Peninsula. It was moving northwest at 21kph, with a radius of about 150km. The bureau said that the storm’s center would be about 820km off Oluanpi by 2pm today.
The bureau had previously forecast that the typhoon would only pass near the Hengchun Peninsula. However, it said yesterday that the typhoon would likely move north to make landfall between Hualien and Taitung.
“Because the Pacific high pressure air system continues to weaken, the typhoon has a tendency to move north,” forecaster Tsai Yao-de (蔡耀德) said.
The bureau said that any change in a Pacific high-pressure system when the typhoon passes Luzon Island in the Philippines would be key in determining whether the typhoon would head south or north.
The bureau expected large waves along the east and northern coasts today. Tomorrow, weather across the nation would see effects of Matmo’s influence, bringing showers to the north and east.
Chances of showers are expected to increase nationwide on Wednesday and Thursday. The bureau said Matmo would move away from Taiwan on Friday.
Despite the approaching typhoon, the bureau said that the temperature would remain between 33?C and 35?C nationwide this week, adding that the mercury would drop slightly on Wednesday and Thursday because of Matmo-related rain.
Other nations also forecast that Matmo’s path would continue north. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that the storm would land in Taitung on Wednesday, while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the US Navy said the storm would move cross the nation after making landfall between Hualien and Taitung.
Aside from Matmo, the bureau is monitoring a tropical depression near Guam, which formed on Saturday afternoon.
As the tropical depression system is about 3,000km away, the bureau said that it needs further observation to determine its potential influence on the nation.
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