Rainfall to peak Monday under southwestern winds: CWA

Taipei, July 19 (CNA) Rainfall is expected to peak on Monday, with heavy rain and localized torrential downpours possible in northern and northeastern Taiwan and central mountainous areas due to the influence of southwestern winds, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Sunday.

On Sunday evening, vigorous convective systems brought heavy rain to northern Taiwan, with the highest accumulated rainfall recorded in the mountainous areas of Hsinchu County. Jianshi Township received 140 millimeters of rain as of 7 p.m.

A similar weather pattern could return Monday afternoon in northern, northeastern and central Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Cheng-chuan (張承傳) said. Southern areas could see localized showers and thunderstorms, while other areas are expected to remain mostly cloudy to sunny.

From Tuesday through Friday, southwestern winds will gradually weaken, Chang said. Most of Taiwan will see partly cloudy to sunny skies, with afternoon thunderstorms expected in western and mountainous areas.

Temperatures will remain hot over the coming week, with daytime highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius. Parts of Greater Taipei, mountainous areas in central and southern Taiwan, and the East Rift Valley could see temperatures rise above 36 degrees, Chang said.

Meanwhile, CWA data showed that a tropical disturbance has developed over waters east of the Philippines toward Guam and could gradually strengthen into a tropical depression in the latter half of next week.

However, forecast models remain divergent, and its future development will require further monitoring, Chang added.