TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Tropical Storm Podul is likely to pass north of Taiwan next week instead of south, forecasters said Saturday.

After the storm formed near Guam Friday, initial predictions saw the storm move west and pass over the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines. However, the latest forecasts put Podul passing between Taiwan and Japan from Tuesday, the Liberty Times reported.

The Central Weather Administration did not rule out issuing sea alerts on Tuesday. The storm is likely to strengthen before then, but weaken slightly Wednesday.

If later developments confirm Podul’s northern route, rainfall would be most pronounced in the Taipei area, Yilan, and Hualian. The picture will become clearer after the weekend, the weather administration said. Podul was still 2,100 kilometers east of Taiwan Saturday morning.