Heavy rain starting Saturday night in northern, eastern Taiwan: Expert

Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) Residents in northern and eastern Taiwan should be on alert for potential disasters caused by "significant rainfall" starting from Saturday night through Wednesday, said independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮).

Driven by seasonal northeasterly winds and Tropical Storm Fengshen located south of Taiwan, the heavy rain is likely to hit northern mountainous regions and northeastern Taiwan the hardest, while residents in Hualien and Taitung counties in the east should also remain on alert, said Wu.

As of 2 p.m. Saturday, Fengshen was located about 1,130 kilometers southeast of Cape Eluanbi, moving northwest at 27 kilometers per hour toward Hainan Island, China, and was not expected to directly affect Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The CWA also warned that starting Sunday, coastal winds and waves are expected to intensify, with strong gusts reaching over 90 kilometers per hour likely over the northern seas of Taiwan, the Taiwan Strait, and nearby coastal areas.

Meanwhile, the CWA predicted hot daytime temperatures across Taiwan on Saturday, with highs possibly reaching 38 degrees Celsius in Hsinchu County. It urged residents to protect themselves from the sun and stay hydrated when outdoors.

Daytime highs on Saturday are expected to range between 33-35 degrees in the rest of western Taiwan, and 31-32 degrees in eastern Taiwan, the CWA said.

Wu predicted that temperatures in northern Taiwan will gradually decline during the week through Wednesday, dropping to around 20 degrees Celsius.