A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm yesterday morning, but it is unlikely to have an effect on Taiwan due to the approach of seasonal northeasterly winds and a cold weather front in the coming days, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said.
Tropical Storm Muifa, the first of its kind in this year’s typhoon season, was located 1,800km east-southeast of Taiwan and moving in a west-northwest direction, the bureau said.
However, the approaching weather systems would impede the storm’s development over the next two days as it changes course, meaning that Muifa would not bring rainfall or have any other impact on Taiwan, the bureau forecast.
The bureau said temperatures across Taiwan should fall to about 17°C or 18°C today and tomorrow as a result of the arrival of the weather front and seasonal winds and it urged people to take umbrellas when they go out.
In related news, the air quality was poor in central and southern areas and fair to good in eastern and northern areas, the Environmental Protection Administration’s Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network said.
As of 11am yesterday, air quality in Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi and Kinmen counties had triggered a “red” light, which indicates that it is unhealthy for all groups of people, network data showed.
Some monitoring stations in Tainan and Kaohsiung also flashed red, while other stations in the region flashed “orange,” signaling air that is unhealthy for young children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.
Other stations in the area flashed “yellow,” which indicates fair air quality.
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