One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday.
Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said.
The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration
The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said.
It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel on Tuesday or Wednesday, although its exact path and strength are uncertain, she said.
Meanwhile, Tropical Depression No. 20 formed about 600km south of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, although it has a low chance of triggering a sea warning, Lee said.
It is expected to move northwest and could make landfall on the coast of China’s Guangdong Province by Saturday, she said.
Parts of Taiwan would feel the effects of the No. 20 storm today and tomorrow, with heavy rain forecast for eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島), the CWA said.
In other news, test alerts are to be sent to cellphones tomorrow, which is National Disaster Prevention Day, as part of a drill to boost public preparedness for natural disasters, the CWA said in a statement.
In the drill to test the emergency warning system, messages would warn people about a hypothetical earthquake and tsunami.
The “Survive Major Quakes, Build Resilience” drills aim to help the public familiarize themselves with correct responses during earthquakes, while also promoting self-help, mutual aid, and cooperation between the government and civic groups to build a more resilient disaster prevention framework, the statement said.
The scenario assumes a magnitude 8.5 earthquake near the Ryukyu Trench off the east coast of Taiwan at 9:21am, with a maximum intensity of “Upper 6” and a depth of only 10km, triggering a tsunami threat.
The CWA defines upper 6 intensity as “violent shaking [that] makes it almost impossible to stand.”
Messages would be sent to cellphones in three stages: a nationwide earthquake alert at 9:21am, a tsunami warning for coastal areas at 9:30am and a tsunami warning cancelation at 10am, the statement said.
Alerts would include instructions such as “drop, cover, hold on” for the earthquake test and evacuation instructions for the tsunami test, it said.
Schools and kindergartens would conduct evacuation drills organized by the Ministry of Education, it said.
Students would practice the three protective steps to improve their ability to protect themselves during earthquakes, the statement said.
The exercise is designed to ensure that the public is familiar with receiving alerts and following evacuation procedures, which would enhance Taiwan’s disaster preparedness and emergency response capacity, the CWA said.
Tomorrow’s drills would take place ahead of National Disaster Prevention Day on Sunday, the anniversary of the 921 Earthquake — a quake measuring 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale that occurred at 1:47am on Sept. 21, 1999, 9.2km southwest of Sun Moon Lake, near Jiji Township (集集) in Nantou County.
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