The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is set to issue sea and land warnings for Tropical Storm Krathon as projections showed that the tropical storm could strengthen into a typhoon as it approaches Taiwan proper, the CWA said yesterday.
The sea warning is scheduled to take effect this morning and the land warning this evening, it said.
The storm formed yesterday morning and in the evening reached a point 620 nautical miles (1,148km) southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, moving west-southwest at 4 kph as it strengthened, the CWA said.
Its radius measured between 220km and 250km, it added.
Krathon is projected to turn northwest in Taiwan proper’s direction tomorrow and move across the waters east of the nation in the following two days, CWA weather forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said.
The CWA has not ruled out that the storm could pass over Taiwan proper due to its western drift, he said.
The tropical storm’s peripheral turbulence might bring torrential rains to the eastern part of Taiwan proper, Taipei and New Taipei City, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at the southern tip of Taiwan, Liu said, adding that its effects would be the strongest on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Rain is expected across the nation until Thursday, he said.
The CWA has initiated operations to track the storm by deploying aerial observational devices to supplement the data gathered by ships.
The Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area closed at 3pm yesterday and the Taoyuan City Government’s Fusing District Office said it is prepared to evacuate residents in its mountainous areas if necessary.
Additional reporting by Huang Cheng-chia
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