Typhoon Champi to turn away from Taiwan, will still bring heavy rain

Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) Typhoon Champi will turn northward earlier than previously forecast, sparing Taiwan a direct hit but still bringing heavy rain to the north of the country on Friday and Saturday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

CWA forecaster Cheng Chieh-jen (鄭傑仁) told CNA Typhoon Champi had strengthened and increased in size over the past 12 hours, and as of Monday afternoon was packing sustained winds of 198 kilometers per hour near its center.

Due to the weakening of a Pacific high-pressure system, however, the storm is now expected to turn northward earlier than initially forecast, likely around Japan's Ishigaki Island, Cheng said.

As Champi brushes past northeastern Taiwan, it will likely be a strong "moderate" typhoon or weak "intense" typhoon per the CWA's classification system, which defines the latter as having sustained winds above 184 kph, Cheng said.

Based on current forecasts, the CWA could issue a sea warning on Wednesday night or Thursday at the earliest, and a land warning on Thursday evening or Friday, Cheng said.

The warning will likely apply to northern and eastern Taiwan, with the north and Yilan, in particular, facing possible heavy or extremely heavy rain on Friday and Saturday, he added.

As for this week's weather, Cheng said the CWA forecast mostly cloudy to clear skies on Tuesday, with high temperatures of 30-32 degrees Celsius in the eastern half of the country and 31-34 degrees in the west.

On Wednesday, a northeasterly wind system will bring slightly cooler temperatures to the north, with daytime highs reaching 27-30 degrees and a chance of scattered showers in Yilan and areas north of Hsinchu, Cheng said.

As the typhoon approaches on Thursday, there will continue to be scattered rain showers in Yilan and northern Taiwan. Those areas could see heavy or extremely heavy rain on Friday and Saturday, while scattered showers are forecast for other regions, Cheng said.

As Typhoon Champi weakens and moves away from Taiwan on Sunday, cloudy to clear weather conditions will prevail in most regions, with the exception of lingering rain showers in the east and on the Hengchun Peninsula in the south, Cheng said.