Rain expected across Taiwan through weekend; tropical storm forms

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) Rain is expected across Taiwan from Thursday through the weekend under the influence of a low-pressure system, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Wednesday.

Southern Taiwan and mountainous areas of central and eastern Taiwan could see localized heavy or torrential rain during this period, while northern Taiwan may experience localized heavy rain and brief periods of intense rainfall in the afternoons, CWA forecaster Chang Cheng-chuan (張承傳) told reporters.

Chang said seasonal southwesterly winds will strengthen from Friday through Sunday, bringing more frequent showers and thundershowers to central and southern Taiwan that could prompt heavy rain advisories.

Localized heavy rain is also expected in northern Taiwan and other parts of the island, he said.

The low-pressure system is expected to move away from Taiwan after Monday next week, but central, southern and southeastern Taiwan could still see rain that day. Afternoon thundershowers are forecast in southern areas on Tuesday and Wednesday, Chang said.

Due to the rain, daily highs in southern Taiwan will remain around 31-32 degrees Celsius, while temperatures elsewhere will reach around 33-35 degrees, he said.

Meanwhile, a tropical depression southeast of Guam strengthened into Tropical Storm Saudel at 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to the CWA.

Chang said Saudel remains far from Taiwan and is forecast to move northwest before turning west-northwest. Although the storm is expected to approach waters near Okinawa on Monday, uncertainty over its future path remains high and its potential impact on Taiwan is unclear, he said.

Saudel is also expected to strengthen further in the coming days, Chang said.