Tropical Storm Koinu is expected to come closest to Taiwan from Wednesday through Friday as it passes through the Bashi Channel, but it remained uncertain how it would affect the weather, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
As of 8am yesterday, Koinu was about 1,000km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving northwest at 12kph, the CWA said.
Koinu is likely to strengthen into a typhoon today or tomorrow and turn west as it enters the Bashi Channel to the south of Taiwan proper, CWA forecaster Chao Hung (趙竑) said.
The storm’s trajectory is still unclear, so more time is needed to determine how it would affect the weather, Chao said.
Due to the storm, ferries between Taitung and Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島), and between Houbihu Harbor (後壁湖港) in Kenting (墾丁) and Orchid Island, were halted from noon yesterday until Thursday, the Maritime and Port Bureau said.
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