(From the Central Weather Bureau website)

Taipei, July 14 (CNA) Tropical Storm Rammasun is expected to affect Taiwan beginning on Wednesday, bringing rain to most parts of the country, but it will not make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau forecast Monday.

As of 2 p.m. Monday, the storm was centered about 1,360 kilometers southeast of Taiwan's southernmost tip of Eluanbi, moving in a westerly direction at a speed of 26 km per hour.

It is packing maximum sustained winds of 108 kph, with gusts reaching 137 kph, the bureau said.

The storm is expected to pass over Luzon in the Philippines on Wednesday and then move out to the South China Sea on Thursday, bypassing Taiwan but bringing heavy waves to the region, the bureau warned.

It cautioned that ships operating on waters east and southwest of Taiwan, as well as near the outlying Green and Orchid islands, should also be on the alert.

Rammasun could start to bring moisture on Wednesday, forecasters said, adding that eastern and southern Taiwan could experience rain until Sunday.

Northern and central parts of Taiwan, meanwhile, are expected to see afternoon thunderstorms during the period, the bureau said.

The storm is not likely to bring any respite to the steamy temperatures Taiwan has faced in recent days, the bureau said. Daytime highs could hover between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius islandwide through weekend, it said.

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)
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