CWA issues sea warning for Tropical Storm Noul

Taipei, July 24 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a sea warning for Tropical Storm Noul at 11:30 p.m. Thursday as the system strengthened east of the Philippines and approached waters south of Taiwan.

As of 5 a.m. Friday, Noul was centered about 530 kilometers southeast of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 25-28 kilometers per hour (kph), with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph, according to the CWA.

CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said Noul was expected to maintain tropical storm strength while passing through the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan.

The storm could then intensify over the South China Sea before making landfall in China's Guangdong Province as a typhoon, Tseng said.

Noul's outer rainbands are expected to begin affecting Taiwan on Friday, with rainfall increasing later in the day in eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula, Tseng said.

Noul is forecast to make its closest approach to Taiwan on Saturday, bringing heavy to extremely heavy rain to Hualien, Taitung and the Hengchun Peninsula, while southern Taiwan could see localized heavy rain later that day.

Scattered showers are also expected in the Greater Taipei area, Yilan, Keelung and the north coast, as well as mountainous areas.

Although the storm is expected to move away on Sunday and Monday, moist southerly winds will continue to bring localized heavy rain to Taitung and the Hengchun Peninsula, along with afternoon thunderstorms elsewhere.

Conditions are expected to improve from Tuesday as moisture gradually decreases.

Temperatures will remain high over the coming week, with daytime highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius across most of Taiwan.

Tseng said a foehn effect caused by southeasterly winds descending the mountains could push temperatures higher in northern Taiwan on Friday. The hot weather is expected to extend into central Taiwan on Saturday, when localized highs of 36-37 degrees are possible.

The CWA also warned of long-period swells from Friday night through early Sunday along Taiwan's eastern and southwestern coasts, the Hengchun Peninsula and Penghu, as well as around Orchid Island and Green Island.