Image taken from Central Weather Bureau website

Taipei, June 29 (CNA) A tropical depression over waters east of the Philippines intensified into a tropical storm Friday but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

As of Friday afternoon, Tropical Storm Prapiroon was located some 1,020 kilometers east-southeast of Taiwan's southernmost tip of Eluanbi, CWB data showed.

The storm is forecast to move in a north-northwest direction at a relatively slow 7 kilometers per hour toward the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, CWB data showed.

The CWB predicted Prapiroon will continue on a path toward Japan or Korea without directly affecting Taiwan, but will bring rogue waves to northern and eastern Taiwan on Sunday and Monday.

People planning to travel to Korea and Japan in the next few days are advised to check travel and airline advisories, the CWB cautioned.

(By Wang Shu-fen and William Yen)
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