Taipei, May 7 (CNA) A tropical depression over the Philippine Seahas developed into the first tropical storm of the 2011 Pacifictyphoon season, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said Saturday.

Tropical storm Aere, which means "storm" in Marshallese, wascentered 1,200 kilometers south-southeast of Eluanbi, thesouthernmost tip of Taiwan, as of 2 p.m., the CWB said.

Aere is moving northwest toward the main Philippine island ofLuzon at a speed of 14 km per hour, packing maximum sustained windsof 65 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 90 kph, it said.

Whether Aere will become a typhoon or pose a threat to Taiwanremains unclear, forecasters said, but the chance of rain in easternTaiwan is likely to increase next week as the storm front bringsmoisture to the region.

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)
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