New tropical storm forms, could bring unstable weather to Taiwan

Taipei, July 26 (CNA) A tropical depression developed in the waters off the Philippines on Wednesday afternoon, becoming the ninth tropical storm of the season -- Nesat -- the Central Weather Bureau said.

However, whether the storm impacts Taiwan will not be known until Friday, the bureau added.

Tropical storm Nesat formed at 2 p.m. on Wednesday and continued moving in a northerly direction. There is a chance it could turn west and approach Taiwan on Friday, according to the bureau.

With Nesat moving slowly and high sea surface temperatures, the storm could gain strength, but whether it directly affects Taiwan will depend on its course over the next two days, said Yen Tseng-hsi (顏增璽), a forecaster at the bureau.

If the Pacific high pressure system weakens and Nesat's movement is influenced by nearby Typhoon Noru, then it could turn west only slightly and have less of an impact on Taiwan.

Alternatively, if the Pacific high pressure system maintains its current strength, Nesat could move closer to Taiwan and have a greater impact.

Changeable weather is forecast from Friday to Sunday as Nesat approaches Taiwan, according to the bureau.