The Central Weather Bureau yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Tropical Storm Mitag, saying that the storm is likely to be upgraded to a typhoon when it comes close to the nation today.
As of 8pm yesterday, Mitag’s center was 710km southeast of Taipei.
It was moving northwest at 22kph, with maximum wind speeds of 101kph, bureau data showed. The radius of the storm had expanded to 150km.
The storm is forecast to move toward the nation’s southeast coast today, bureau Weather Forecast Center specialist Hsieh Ming-chang (謝明昌) said.
Waves off the nation’s eastern and southeastern coasts are likely to become stronger, particularly from this afternoon to tomorrow morning, when the storm would come closer to the nation.
Hsieh said Mitag is likely to be upgraded to a typhoon by the time it starts affecting northern Taiwan, adding that “hotspots” for rainfall from this afternoon to tomorrow morning are in the northern and northeastern regions.
These regions are likely to experience extremely heavy rainfall, which means that accumulated rainfall within 24 hours could reach 200mm.
Residents in low-lying areas might experience flooding due to the combined effects of heavy rainfall and spring tides, the bureau said.
At 10pm last night, the governments in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Keelung and Hsinchu County announced that today would be a typhoon day.
However, as of 9:20pm, the governments in Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, as well as Changhua, Yunlin, Nantou, Chiayi and Pingtung counties had announced that offices and schools would be open today.
Former Weather Forecast Center director Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said Mitag would move away from Taiwan tomorrow before heading toward South Korea.
Even through the storm’s center appears likely to remain offshore, Wu said that he does not exclude the possibility that it might make landfall.
People should not underestimate the threat the storm poses to the northern and northeastern regions, he said.
From last night to tomorrow morning, Mitag’s circumfluence is expected to bring heavy rain to windward areas, particularly the mountainous areas in the north as well as the nation’s northeast coast, Wu said.
Residents in northern and northeastern regions should be aware of the damage caused by strong winds, he said.
Cloudy skies to showers are forecast for Hualien and Taitung, although residents in Hualien might still experience heavy rainfall, he added.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall is forecast for the mountainous areas in central Taiwan, he said.
As Mitag is to move away from Taiwan tomorrow afternoon, rainy to cloudy skies are forecast for the northern region, Wu said.
Chances of showers would remain high in the mountainous areas in central and southern Taiwan, as well as in Hualien and Taitung, he said.
MILESTONE: The foreign minister called the signing ‘a major step forward in US-Taiwan relations,’ while the Presidential Office said it was a symbol of the nations’ shared values US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US Department of State to regularly review and update guidelines governing official US interactions with Taiwan. The new law is an amendment to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 focused on reviewing guidelines on US interactions with Taiwan. Previously, the state department was required to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan, but under the new bill, the agency must conduct a review “not less than every five years.” It must then submit an updated report based on its findings “not later
A trial run of the north concourse of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s new Terminal 3 is to commence today, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The eight additional boarding gates would allow for more aircraft parking spaces that are expected to boost the airport’s capacity by 5.8 million passengers annually, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Kuo-shian (林國顯) said. The concourse, designed by a team led by British architect Richard Rogers, provides a refreshing space, Lin said, adding that travelers would enjoy the tall and transparent design that allows sunshine to stream into the concourse through glass curtain walls. The
The Presidential Office today thanked the US for enacting the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US Department of State to regularly review and update guidelines governing official US interactions with Taiwan. The new law, signed by US President Donald Trump yesterday, is an amendment to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 focused on reviewing guidelines on US interactions with Taiwan. Previously, the department was required to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan, but under the new bill, the agency must conduct such a review "not less than every five years." It must then submit an updated
STAYING ALERT: China this week deployed its largest maritime show of force to date in the region, prompting concern in Taipei and Tokyo, which Beijing has brushed off Deterring conflict over Taiwan is a priority, the White House said in its National Security Strategy published yesterday, which also called on Japan and South Korea to increase their defense spending to help protect the first island chain. Taiwan is strategically positioned between Northeast and Southeast Asia, and provides direct access to the second island chain, with one-third of global shipping passing through the South China Sea, the report said. Given the implications for the US economy, along with Taiwan’s dominance in semiconductors, “deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority,” it said. However, the strategy also reiterated
RSS