TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Typhoon Hinnamnor has strengthened in severity and continues to move west-southwest, while a tropical depression, located south-southwest of Typhoon Hinnamnor, could become Typhoon Muifa if it maintains its structure, Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said on Tuesday (Aug. 30).
According to the CWB, Typhoon Hinnamnor was positioned at 26.7N 135.3E at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and moving west-southwest at a speed of 26 km per hour. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 51 meters per second and gusts of 63 meters per second, with a radius of 220 km of winds over 15 meters per second.
In addition, the bureau reported that a tropical depression had formed south-southwest of Typhoon Hinnamnor. It is moving west-southwest at 4 km per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 15 meters per second and gusts of 23 meters per second.
According to bureau weather forecaster Chao Hung (趙竑), if Typhoon Hinnamnor continues to move west-southwest, it is forecast to pause near the Ryukyu Islands on Thursday before moving northward towards Japan and South Korea on Friday and Saturday, when the typhoon will be closest to Taiwan, CNA reported.
Taiwan will be affected by the periphery of Typhoon Hinnamnor from Wednesday night through Saturday, starting from the north, the northeast, and the east, with winds and rains gradually intensifying in northern Taiwan and short rain showers in the south.
When the typhoon is close to Taiwan on Friday and Saturday, the rain area will expand, with short rain showers across the country, Chao said, adding that heavy rainfall or torrential rainfall is possible for the north, Keelung, and the northern coast during this time.
As for the tropical depression, the forecaster said that the moisture of the depression will first be sucked out by Typhoon Hinnamnor when it comes near. However, if the depression can maintain its structure in the coming 24 hours, it has the chance to become Typhoon Muifa, which is projected to move towards the Ryukyu Islands and have no direct impact on Taiwan, Chao said, per CNA.
(CWB image)
