Strengthening storm may bring heavy rain to Taiwan early next week

Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) A tropical depression currently near Guam is expected to become a tropical storm between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, and strengthen into a typhoon early next week, bringing heavy rain to Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Wednesday.

CWA forecaster Huang En-hong (黃恩鴻) reiterated earlier forecasts to say the tropical depression is forecast to strengthen into this year's 26th tropical storm, named Fung-wong, before moving west toward the Philippines.

Fung-wong is expected not only to intensify but also to grow larger as it moves westward, potentially reaching the Philippines as a typhoon with a radius of about 300 kilometers, he said.

According to Huang, the storm is forecast to make landfall in the Philippines on Monday, then turn north over the Bashi Channel, the waterway between Taiwan's Orchid Island and the Philippines' Mavulis Island, next Tuesday and Wednesday.

The storm's impact on Taiwan will be most significant during those two days, with the northern, eastern, and southern parts of the island at risk of potentially extremely heavy rain, Huang said, referring to precipitation of at least 200 millimeters within 24 hours or 100 mm within three hours.

He added that the timing of a typhoon warning will be determined after the storm officially forms.

Huang said Fung-wong's outer circulation could interact with the northeasterly monsoon, creating a combined effect, and most of the rain currently appears likely to fall over waters northeast of Taiwan.

According to the forecaster, the northeasterly monsoon will begin weakening Thursday morning, bringing mostly mixed cloudy and sunny conditions until Sunday.

Huang said brief showers are expected in northeastern and eastern Taiwan, as well as the Greater Taipei area on Thursday.

From Friday to Sunday, only coastal areas in northern Taiwan, including Keelung City, the mountainous areas of Greater Taipei, eastern areas, and the Hengchun Peninsula in the south are likely to see scattered brief showers, he added.

As the monsoon weakens, highs in northern Taiwan are forecast to rise to around 28-29 degrees Celsius over the weekend, while central and southern regions will remain around 30-31 degrees, Huang said.

Huang said the next northeasterly monsoon is expected to strengthen on Sunday night and persist for about a week, bringing a slight temperature drop to northern and northeastern Taiwan.

From Sunday night to Monday, increased moisture on the windward side will likely bring brief showers to northern Taiwan and the Yilan County area, with a probability of localized heavy rain, while Hualien County and Taitung County will also see brief showers.

On Tuesday and Wednesday next week, as Taiwan comes under the influence of Fung-wong, northern, eastern, and southern areas will be prone to heavy rain and possibly extremely heavy rain, while the rest of the island will experience brief showers, Huang said.

He reminded the public to stay alert for big waves along the coast of Keelung City, eastern Taiwan -- including Orchid Island and Green Island -- and the Hengchun Peninsula in southern Taiwan starting Saturday.