The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is closely monitoring a tropical depression southwest of Guam, which is likely to develop into the western Pacific region’s fourth tropical storm within 10 days, the agency said yesterday.
The tropical depression could become a tropical storm and is expected to approach Luzon in the northern Philippines on Thursday or Friday, CWA forecaster Lin Ping-yu (林秉煜) said.
However, its path beyond that remains largely uncertain, he said.
Photo: Screen grab from Weather Express’ Facebook page
Due to variable factors, such as the northern weather system and the Pacific high-pressure system, predictions of its future path vary between countries, he added.
Some forecasts suggest it would continue moving westward toward the South China Sea, while others indicate it might turn northward and affect waters east of Taiwan, he said.
The tropical depression is to be named Usagi if it develops into a tropical storm.
If this occurs before Tropical Storm Yinxing dissipates, it would be the first recorded instance of four tropical storms or higher-level systems coexisting in November, he said.
Yinxing, which is weakening, on Monday last week became the 22nd tropical storm of this year, followed by tropical storms Toraji and Manyi on Saturday.
Toraji, now classified as a typhoon, made landfall in Aurora, Philippines, at 8:10am yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.
Philippine authorities said at least 8,000 people were moved from coastal areas as well as flood and landslide-prone areas in the provinces of Aurora, Isabela, Ifugao and Mountain Province.
In all, the government ordered 2,500 villages to be evacuated on Sunday, though the national disaster office does not have the total number of evacuees as of yesterday.
Meanwhile, Lin said that from early this morning to early tomorrow morning, the outer bands of Toraji might bring extremely heavy rain to the Keelung coast, mountainous areas in Taipei and New Taipei City, and Yilan County.
Heavy rain is expected in Hualien County.
Temperatures in these areas are forecast to range between 24°C and 27°C during the day and about 22°C at night, Lin said.
They are expected to rise after the seasonal northeasterly winds weaken tomorrow, he added.
Additional reporting by AFP
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