Wet weather forecast for Taiwan as storm crosses Luzon Island

Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) Wet weather has been forecast for northern and eastern Taiwan in the coming two days due to the proximity of Tropical Storm Trami, which is currently located around the Philippines, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Wednesday.

Northern Taiwan and Yilan and Hualien counties in the east will see heavy rain or extremely heavy rain from early Thursday morning through Friday as Trami crosses Luzon Island later Wednesday and moves toward the Indochinese Peninsula, CWA forecaster Liu Yu-chi (劉宇其) said.

Liu said the tropical storm, which is currently 800 kilometers from Taiwan's southeastern coast, will not directly impact Taiwan, and the chances of storm warnings for Taiwan are low, Liu said.

The storm's outer ring, however, will extend to the Bashi Channel -- a waterway between Batan Island of the Philippines and Orchid Island off the eastern coast of Taiwan -- he said.

Warmer southeasterly winds introduced by Trami are expected to converge with colder northeasterly winds lingering over Taiwan, creating an "accompanied effect" that will deliver rain, he said.

On Wednesday, extremely heavy rain will drench the north Keelung coast, and the Greater Taipei and Yilan-Hualien areas, Liu said.

Highs of 22-25 degrees Celsius are forecast for northern Taiwan and 28-30 degrees for the rest of the country, while the lows will range between 23-25 degrees.

Downpours will become obvious from Thursday to early Friday around Taiwan, mainly in mountainous areas in Yilan and Hualien counties, before the storm gradually moves away from Taiwan on Saturday, according to Liu.

Meanwhile, a low pressure system is developing near Guam, which might move north and could disrupt the speed and course of Trami, Liu said.