The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) yesterday said it could still issue a sea alert for Typhoon Khanun tonight or tomorrow morning even though it projected that the storm would move north toward Japan.
As Naha International Airport would be closed ahead of the approaching typhoon, four airlines in Taiwan — Starlux Airlines, Tigerair Taiwan, China Airlines and EVA Airways — yesterday announced that flights to Okinawa today would be all canceled.
EVA also announced that its flights to Okinawa tomorrow would be canceled.
Photo: Central Weather Bureau
As of 2pm yesterday, Khanun was centered 1,060km east-southeast of Taipei and was moving northwest at 18kph, bureau data showed. The typhoon’s maximum wind speed hit 144kph, with its radius reaching 250km.
CWB senior weather forecaster Chu Mei-lin (朱美霖) said that Khanun’s radius could expand as it nears Okinawa.
Due to the lack of a guiding airstream, the typhoon could slow when it reaches waters off Taiwan’s northeast coast tomorrow before it turns north, Chu said.
“As it turns north, the oceanic environment is not fit for the typhoon’s further development. As such, it could remain a typhoon or become slightly weaker before it moves northeast away from Taiwan,” she said.
Khanun is forecast to be closest to Taiwan tomorrow and on Thursday, Chu said, adding that the agency could issue a sea alert tonight or tomorrow morning if the typhoon’s projected path moves closer to Taiwan.
Today, chances of rain are high in northern Taiwan due to clouds from the typhoon’s outer rain bands, she said.
Afternoon showers are forecast for mountainous areas and southern Taiwan, she added.
Rain in northern Taiwan is expected to intensify tomorrow and on Thursday, with a high likelihood of intermittent rain in central and southern Taiwan, Chu said.
Southwest winds are expected to rise again in Taiwan on Friday as the typhoon moves away, with a high probability of showers on the windward side of central and southern Taiwan from Friday to Monday next week, she said.
Residents in northern Taiwan, Lienchiang County, the east coast and southwest should beware rogue waves in coastal areas, she said.
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