Stormy weather gives way to clearer skies in Taiwan: CWA

Taipei, July 12 (CNA) Recent stormy weather that battered southern Taiwan is easing, as a strengthening Pacific high-pressure system brings stable conditions across the island, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said on Saturday.

Most areas will see partly cloudy to sunny skies with reduced moisture, forecasters said, but added that localized afternoon thunderstorms may occur in northern Taiwan and mountainous areas.

Highs will reach 31-34 degrees Celsius, with lows between 24 and 26 degrees, CWA data showed.

Outlying islands will experience brief showers or thunderstorms, while strong southwesterly winds could bring gusts to parts of northern and central Taiwan, Taitung in the east, and outlying Lienchiang County, causing rough seas with waves of up to 2 meters, according to the CWA.

A tropical depression east of Taiwan may develop into a tropical storm but poses no direct threat to the island, the CWA said.

According to independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮), a tropical depression in waters south of Japan is expected to turn into a tropical storm over the weekend and move northward past eastern Japan, posing no threat to Taiwan.

Meanwhile, a tropical system is expected to approach Taiwan next week, but various weather forecasts show significant differences in its projected path, Wu said.

Some suggest a possible landfall in Taiwan around July 19, while others place it southeast of the Ryukyu Islands in Japan, requiring close monitoring, he said.