A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said.
A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added.
Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said.
Today, there would likely be high temperatures in the morning with thundershowers in the afternoon, CWA weather anchor Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said.
Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, and parts of central and southern Taiwan could expect temperatures as high as 37°C, he said.
Showers or thundershowers are likely in the central and southern regions, mountainous regions throughout the country, Taitung County and around the Hengchun Peninsula, Tseng said.
Another tropical depression named TD04 has formed west of the Philippines. It is expected to move toward the South China Sea and China’s Guangdong Province, so it is less likely to affect Taiwan.
Commenting on the possibility of Taiwan being affected by two typhoons, CWA weather anchor Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said that it would depend on how close Tropical Storm Gaemi is to TD04 or if other tropical depressions develop within the monsoon trough.
The Taipei City Government’s Natural Disaster Prevention Office said the capital would be on high alert until Wednesday.
It is very likely that a sea alert would be issued for Gaemi, the office said.
Taipei’s Public Works Department, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Urban Development and Department of Labor have all stepped up measures to prepare for a possible typhoon, the office said, urging Taipei residents to prepare over the weekend.
The Taipei City Government said that the tides could exacerbate Gaemi’s effects.
The Hydraulic Engineering Office and the Parking Management and Development Office would be monitoring water levels for areas close to rivers and nearby parking lots, the city government said, adding that vehicle owners should also be careful, as there could be flooding from Tuesday.
Additional reporting by Kan Meng-lin
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