Typhoon Hinnamnor has been upgraded to a super typhoon as it moves southwest toward Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
As of 2pm yesterday, Hinnamnor’s center was 1,390km east of Taipei, the bureau said, adding that the storm was moving southwest at about 21kph.
Maximum wind speeds reached 184kph, with the typhoon’s radius reaching 220km, it said.
The typhoon is expected to move to about 840km east of Taipei by 2pm today, the bureau said.
Bureau forecaster Liu Yu-chi (劉宇其) told a news conference in Taipei that Hinnamnor is the first super typhoon this year.
The guiding stream for the storm is expected to weaken by tomorrow or Friday, causing it to hover around the Ryukyu Islands, he said.
Photo: CNA
Another tropical system, which is about 800km away from Hinnamnor, could develop into a tropical depression, he said, adding that the interaction between the typhoon and the system could cause Hinnamnor to veer south.
However, as the tropical system would have less time to develop, it could merge with Hinnamnor, Liu said.
Whether the system would evolve into a tropical storm is unclear, he said.
“We will monitor the typhoon and see if it veers south from tomorrow to Saturday, when it is expected to significantly decelerate,” he said. “The typhoon will be about 500km away from Taiwan during this period, and it remains to be seen whether a sea alert for Hinnamnor would be issued.”
High temperatures are forecast nationwide for today and tomorrow, with a high chance of rain in central and southern Taiwan, he said.
The typhoon’s peripheral circulation will start bringing rain to northern, northeastern and eastern Taiwan tonight, Liu said.
As it is expected to be closest to Taiwan on Saturday and Sunday, chances of showers would be high nationwide, with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall forecast for northern Taiwan and coastal areas in Keelung, he said.
Rain is forecast to ease by Sunday when Hinnamnor moves away from Taiwan, he said.
The nation is expected to see one to two more typhoons in the fall, the bureau said, adding that heavy rainfall is more likely in northern and eastern Taiwan throughout the season due to interactions between typhoons and the northeast monsoon.
Overall, a warmer autumn is likely, with rain falling within the normal range, the bureau said.
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