Typhoon Maria was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday afternoon and could affect Taiwan, depending on the strength of a Pacific high pressure system, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said.
As of 2pm, Typhoon Maria was 2,273km east-southeast of Taiwan’s southernmost tip and was moving in a north-northwest direction at 7kph.
It was carrying maximum sustained winds of 183.6kph, with gusts of up to 226.8kph, the bureau said, adding that several variables continue to affect the storm’s track, making it hard to predict.
Maria would not affect Taiwan this week, but a Pacific high pressure system would play a crucial role in the coming days in pushing the storm either closer to or further away from Taiwan, the bureau said.
The US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said that the eye of the storm is likely to miss Taiwan and head toward Shanghai, but Taiwan would be affected by the storm’s southern periphery, it added.
For the rest of this week, Taiwan is not expected to be directly affected by the storm, except for some possible rough waves along the coastline, the bureau said.
The bureau yesterday issued a heavy rain advisory for seven counties and cities in central and southern Taiwan, but said that the rain is not part of the typhoon system.
It advised people living in low-lying areas to take precautions against flooding and cautioned residents in mountainous areas to be alert to the possibility of landslides and rock falls.
Meanwhile, the temperature early yesterday afternoon rose to 38.5°C in Taipei, the highest in the capital this year, the bureau said, adding that it was recorded at 1:34pm.
The city’s previous highest temperature of the year, 38.2°C, was recorded at 11:17am on May 27.
An orange alert was issued for Taipei, while Hsinchu, New Taipei City, Hsinchu County, Taoyuan, Hualien County and Yilan County received a yellow alert, the bureau said.
According to the bureau’s color-coded heat alert system, orange means that temperatures of more than 38°C are expected for one day, or are forecast to remain above 36°C for three or more consecutive days, and people should avoid unnecessary outdoor activities.
A yellow light signifies temperatures of more than 36°C for one day and warns people not to spend too much time outdoors.
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