Tropical Storm Lupit has been downgraded to a tropical depression and is expected to approach Taiwan a second time with a southwesterly system primarily affecting the nation’s west, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday.
As of 8pm, Lupit was moving east at 8kph after making landfall in China’s Guangdong Province on Thursday and approaching waters to the north of Taiwan, the bureau said.
Lupit is expected to pass through the Taiwan Strait today and affect northern Taiwan later today and early tomorrow before moving away, it said.
Photo: Lin Kuo-hsien, Taipei Times
Heavy rain is forecast for western areas of Taiwan today and tomorrow morning, the CWB said.
Yesterday, a heavy rain advisory was issued for Taichung, and Miaoli, Nantou, Chiayi, Taitung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties, while an extremely heavy rain advisory was issued for Tainan and Changhua, Yunlin and Chiayi counties.
As of press time, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Pingtung County, Chiayi City and Chiayi County have canceled work and classes today.
Heavy rain or extremely heavy rain brought by Lupit is forecast to continue to affect Taiwan until tomorrow morning, while large waves are expected in southeastern Taiwan, including Green Island (綠島) and Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼), as well as near Keelung, the Hengchun Peninsula and Penghu and Kinmen counties, it said.
CWB forecaster Liu Yu-chi (劉宇其) said the weather across Taiwan would not stabilize until Monday.
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