Heavy rain warnings issued for Greater Taipei, eastern Taiwan: CWA

Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) Heavy rain and thunderstorm alerts were issued Sunday for the Greater Taipei area and eastern Taiwan, as northeastern winds and Tropical Storm Fengshen's outer circulation brought unstable weather conditions, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.

Forecasters warned of short but intense rainfall, frequent lightning, and strong gusts of wind, particularly in the mountains and along coastal areas in northern and eastern Taiwan.

Rivers could rise rapidly, and residents were urged to stay away from riverbanks and avoid going to the mountains or engaging in water activities, according to the weather agency.

The CWA said that localized heavy or torrential rain will most likely occur in Yilan County and the mountainous regions of Taipei and New Taipei, while Keelung's north coast and parts of Hualien and Taitung counties may also see heavy showers.

Elsewhere, central and southern Taiwan will remain mostly cloudy, with occasional brief afternoon rain, while the Hengchun Peninsula may experience sporadic thunderstorms, it said.

Due to the strengthening northeast winds, temperatures will gradually cool, the CWA said, adding that highs are expected to reach 28 to 31 degrees Celsius in northern and eastern Taiwan, and 32 to 35 degrees in the south. Lows across the island will range from 24 to 27 degrees.

As of 8 a.m. Sunday, Tropical Storm Fengshen was centered 850 kilometers south of Taiwan's southernmost tip Eluanbi, moving northwest toward the South China Sea at around 22 kilometers per hour, according to the CWA.

The storm had a radius of 80 kilometers, with maximum sustained winds of 72 kilometers per hour and gusts reaching 101 kilometers per hour. It is not expected to make landfall in Taiwan.

However, Fengshen's outer circulation will continue to bring moisture and unstable air over the next few days, increasing the likelihood of heavy rainfall through Tuesday, the CWA said.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) cautioned that the "co-effect" of the typhoon's outer circulation and the northeast monsoon could lead to significant rainfall and potential disasters in northern and eastern mountain areas. Temperatures in northern Taiwan could dip to around 20 degrees Celsius from Monday.

Even after the storm weakens later next week, the northeast monsoon will continue to bring cool and wet conditions to northern and eastern Taiwan, Wu said.