Tropical Storm Haikui is expected to bring heavy rain to Taiwan as it passes north of the country and strengthens into a typhoon, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday.
At 8am yesterday, Haikui was 1,240km east-southeast of Taipei, moving west-northwest at 21kph, CWB data showed.
With a radius of 120km, Haikui was packing maximum sustained winds of 108kph, with gusts of up to 136.8kph, the data showed.
CWB forecaster Wu Wang-hua (伍婉華) told reporters at about noon that the storm was likely to strengthen into a typhoon as it moved north.
It would be closest to Taiwan today and tomorrow on its current path, Wu said.
However, if it does not move as far north as projected, it could significantly affect Taiwan, she said.
Regardless of its path, Haikui is likely to bring heavy rain to parts of Taiwan, she said, adding that the CWB might issue a sea warning today.
Meanwhile, Super Typhoon Saola was 350km west-southwest of Taiwan at 2pm yesterday, moving across the South China Sea toward China, CWB data showed.
Parts of Taiwan are likely to have heavy rain today as the peripheries of both storms affect the nation, Wu said.
CWB lifted its sea warning for Typhoon Saola at 2:30pm yesterday and its land warning at 11:30pm on Wednesday as the storm weakened and its storm circle decreased.
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