TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The periphery of a tropical storm that formed Thursday (June 30) and a tropical depression that has taken shape will likely bring unstable weather to Taiwan for four to five days, according to meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮).
At 8 a.m. the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) announced that a tropical depression located to the west of the Philippines and southwest of Taiwan had become Tropical Storm Chaba (芙蓉) and was headed toward Guangdong, China. At the same time, CWB also announced that a tropical disturbance located to the northeast of the Philippines had formed into Tropical Depression TD05 and said it is headed on a path toward the Ryukyu Islands.
Predicted paths of Tropical Storm Chaba and TD05. (CWB image)
Wu said that the chance of Taiwan being directly struck by either tropical cyclone is low and the distance between the two precludes the Fujiwara effect. However, the effect of the convergence of moisture and strong winds between them will lead to four to five days of "very unstable weather" in Taiwan.
Wu said the latest forecast model from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) shows that a Pacific high pressure ridge is shifting northward and moisture over eastern Taiwan is increasing, leading to occasional local showers in the eastern half of the country. According to Wu, western Taiwan will see high temperatures hit 35 to 36 degrees Celsius, with thunderstorms likely in mountainous areas in Hsinchu County and areas south.
Wind radii probability of Tropical Storm Chaba and TD05. (CWB image)
The CWB has also issued an orange signal in Yilan County, for temperatures exceeding 36 degrees for three straight days, while it has also issued a yellow signal for Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, and Pingtung County, indicating that the maximum daily temperature will hit 36 degrees. These warnings are in effect from this morning to late this afternoon.
Wu predicted that from Friday (July 1) to Monday (July 4), Taiwan will find itself wedged between Chaba and TD05, causing increasingly cloudy skies and short bursts of rain and generally unstable weather.
Animated GIF of Tropical Storm Chaba. (NOAA image)
He added that from Friday through Monday significant rainfall is likely in southern Taiwan throughout the day, as well as central to northern Taiwan in the afternoons. From Tuesday to Wednesday (July 5-6), heavy rainfall in the southwestern part of the country is likely, but as that is further out, forecasts will be adjusted over the coming days.
