Tropical Storm Kompasu is forecast to come closest to Taiwan tomorrow and on Tuesday, bringing rain and lowering temperatures, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday.
Bureau forecaster Chen I-hsiu (陳伊秀) said that Kompasu, which was upgraded to a tropical storm on Friday to become this year’s 18th Pacific cyclone, is heading for the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines, and would approach Taiwan early next week.
As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was 1,371km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, moving north at 32kph, the bureau said.
It had maximum sustained winds of 72kph, with gusts of up to 100kph, it said.
Chen said based on its current path, the storm is not expected to make landfall in Taiwan, but would likely bring precipitation to the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) in Pingtung County, as well as eastern and northern regions when it comes closer to the country.
Fishing boats in coastal areas should be on alert for strong winds and high waves, she said, adding that the bureau would continue to watch the storm to see if it changes course or becomes a threat.
Former bureau Weather Forecast Center director Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said he did not rule out that Kompasu might directly affect Taiwan, warning of “disastrously” heavy rain in mountainous regions in eastern and northern Taiwan due to the combined effects of a Pacific high-pressure system.
The storm is expected to move away from Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, but eastern Taiwan would continue to receive heavy rain, said Wu, an adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University.
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