Typhoon Chanthu could make landfall as far north as Yilan or Hualien counties late tomorrow night, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday, adding that a land alert could be issued this afternoon or tomorrow morning.
The bureau also said that it could possibly issue a sea alert late last night or early this morning.
As of 2pm yesterday, Chanthu was 960km southeast of Pingtung County’s Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 15kph, but was projected to shift northward as it approached the Taiwan Strait due to a weakening Pacific high-pressure system, the bureau said.
The bureau is closely monitoring the typhoon, as its route could also change as Tropical Storm Conson moves further west, CWB forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said.
Chanthu is expected to affect Taiwan starting tonight with rainfall in Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the Hengchun Peninsula, Lin said.
From tomorrow to Monday, showers and thunderstorms are forecast for the east coast, with the potential for heavy rain, while other areas should also expect showers or thunderstorms, Lin added.
By Sunday, Chanthu is expected to bring rain across Taiwan, while the north, northeast, east coasts and mountains could see heavy rain or downpours, Lin said, adding that only Kinmen and Penghu counties could expect relatively stable weather.
CWB specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) declined to comment on whether local governments would announce days off for work over the weekend, adding that the bureau was monitoring weather and traffic conditions.
The bureau said it was highly possible that by early tomorrow morning it would downgrade Chanthu to a medium typhoon, as it is approaching the Philippine island of Luzon and higher latitudes, which would weaken it.
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