Tropical storm forms near Hainan, no impact on Taiwan expected

Taipei, Aug. 22 (CNA) A tropical depression near Hainan was upgraded to a tropical storm at 8 a.m. Saturday, but no impact on Taiwan is expected, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

As of 8 a.m., the center of Tropical Storm Narra was located 1,350 kilometers west of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, and was moving south-southeast at 6 kilometers per hour, according to CWA data.

The CWA said Narra is expected to slow down and linger in place for some time before moving northeast toward Guangdong Province, with no direct impact on Taiwan expected.

However, the CWA urged the public to remain alert to Typhoon Saudel, which was located about 2,720 km east of Cape Eluanbi as of 8 a.m. and was moving west-northwest at 17-25 kph.

Saudel is heading toward Okinawa and is expected to affect the islands Tuesday or Wednesday, but its subsequent path remains uncertain, the CWA said.

The CWA said a nearby Pacific high-pressure system is influencing Saudel's movement. If the high-pressure system strengthens, the typhoon could move westward, potentially bringing stronger impacts to Taiwan from its outer bands in the latter half of next week, the CWA said.

Meanwhile, Taiwan remained under the influence of a southwesterly wind system Saturday, with heavy rains reported in southern Taiwan and causing flooding, according to the CWA.

Tainan City had experienced continuous rain since Friday night, with some areas recording accumulated rainfall of more than 250 millimeters. The Tainan City Disaster Response Center was activated at Level 2 on Saturday morning.

According to the city government, Nanhua Reservoir had reached capacity and was overflowing naturally.

(By Huang Chiao-wen, Chang Jung-hsiang and Frances Huang)

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