TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is likely to issue a sea warning Monday (May 29) but nevertheless, Super Typhoon Mawar is expected to lose intensity by the time it approaches the country, forecasters said Saturday (May 27).

There are differences of opinion between meteorologists about its route. One school of thought sees the storm turning northwards before it reaches Taiwan and heads for Japan, while another theory has the typhoon moving around, making landfall in southeast Taiwan, and then heading west into the Taiwan Strait toward China.

While meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) was not choosing sides in the debate about Mawar’s route, he said that by the time it approaches Taiwan, it will have weakened to the status of a typhoon, CNA reported. Storms are classified as super typhoons when the sustained wind speed exceeds 240 kilometers per hour.

According to a Central Weather Bureau (CWB) report at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Mawar was moving west-northwest at a speed of 26 kph. After three days it is likely to turn north-northeast, though there is still a significant level of uncertainty about its future course, Wu said.

The typhoon is expected to bring rain starting Monday, though residents and visitors to coastal areas will need to be careful about strong waves on Sunday (May 28).