2 tropical storms likely Thursday; sea warning possible Sunday

Taipei, Sept. 17 (CNA) Two tropical depressions near Taiwan are expected to strengthen into tropical storms on Thursday, with one possibly reaching typhoon strength and prompting a sea warning as early as Sunday evening, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Wednesday.

CWA forecaster Chang Cheng-chuan (張承傳) said the first system, TD20, was located about 560 kilometers south of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, on Wednesday afternoon and will pass closest to Taiwan on Thursday before heading toward China's Guangdong province.

The system's outer circulation is forecast to bring brief but heavy downpours across Taiwan through Saturday, with rainfall peaking on Thursday.

The second system, TD21, has a well-organized structure and could strengthen into a typhoon as it nears Taiwan between next Tuesday and Wednesday, Chang said.

He added that the system's storm radius may reach 200 km on Sunday, with a sea warning likely that evening, and expand to 250 km the next day, potentially affecting southeastern and southern regions.

According to Chang, showers or thunderstorms are likely Thursday in southeastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula, with localized heavy or torrential rain possible.

Temperatures in New Taipei could again hit 38 degrees Celsius on Thursday, while Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Changhua, and Yunlin should brace for highs above 36 degrees, he said.

On Friday and Saturday, moisture will ease slightly, but showers or thunderstorms may still occur in southern, eastern and southeastern Taiwan, with scattered rain in central areas and afternoon thunderstorms elsewhere, Chang said.

Heavy afternoon downpours are also possible in northern and central mountainous regions, he added.