Potential tropical storm could trigger sea warning Thursday night: CWA

Taipei, July 23 (CNA) A tropical depression that is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm could prompt the issuing of a sea warning for Taiwan as early as Thursday night, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) has said.

The system is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm late Thursday night or early Friday, at which point it will be named Noul, the 12th named storm of the 2026 Pacific typhoon season, according to the CWA.

As of 8 a.m. Thursday, the tropical depression was centered about 1,110 kilometers southeast of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 29 kilometers per hour (kph), with maximum sustained winds of 54 kph, CWA data showed.

CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said the system is expected to have its greatest impact on Taiwan during the daytime on Saturday, when it passes closest to the island.

Eastern Taiwan is expected to see heavy to torrential rain on Saturday, while rainfall in southern Taiwan is forecast to intensify later in the day, Tseng said.

Afterward, unsettled weather is expected to persist from Sunday through Wednesday as southerly winds continue to bring abundant moisture across Taiwan, he added.

Before the system arrives, warm weather will prevail across the island on Thursday and Friday, with daytime highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius, Tseng said.

Temperatures could exceed 36 degrees in parts of the Greater Taipei area, the East Rift Valley and mountainous areas of central and southern Taiwan. Central and northern Taiwan could even see highs above 37 degrees on Friday and Saturday due to foehn winds -- warm, dry downslope winds that develop on the leeward side of mountain ranges.

Meanwhile, independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said Thursday that sunny, hot weather would continue through Friday as atmospheric moisture decreases.

However, he said rainfall is expected to increase in eastern Taiwan beginning Friday night as the developing tropical system approaches. The rain will gradually spread into southern Taiwan over the weekend, while northern Taiwan is expected to experience relatively limited impacts.