Tropical Storm Nalgae’s outer bands are likely to start affecting the weather in Taiwan on Sunday, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
The center of the storm, which is likely to be upgraded to a typhoon before reaching the Philippines’ Luzon Island, as of 8pm yesterday was about 1,530km south of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, the bureau said.
The storm was moving northwest toward Luzon at 27kph, bureau data showed.
The bureau said there is a high chance that Nalgae would be upgraded to a typhoon before making landfall tomorrow or on Sunday, but could be downgraded to a tropical storm on Monday when it is expected to be closer to Taiwan.
There are two paths Nalgae might take after crossing Luzon: It could turn north and move along the east coast of Taiwan, or move west toward the South China Sea, the bureau said.
The Pacific high-pressure system in the north that is affecting Nalgae’s movement might split into two parts between Sunday and Tuesday, which explains why there are two possible paths, it said.
Nalgae is most likely to turn north, which might lead to a sea alert being issued on Sunday or Monday, it said.
The storm is forecast to come closest to Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday, and could even make landfall, it added.
More observations are needed as it remains uncertain when and how the storm would turn north, it said.
Today, chances of isolated showers are high in northern and eastern Taiwan due to an increasing northeast monsoon until Sunday, with heavy rain forecast in the northeast tomorrow and on Sunday, the bureau said.
From Sunday night to Tuesday, Nalgae’s outer bands are forecast to bring heavy rain to northern and eastern regions, and the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung County, it said.
Showers are forecast for mountainous areas in central and southern Taiwan, it added.
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