Two tropical depressions are churning in the Pacific east of Taiwan, with the potential to develop into named tropical storms tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today.
The 14th tropical depression of the season formed early this morning southeast of Guam, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said.
It could intensify tomorrow to become a tropical storm, traveling in a northwestern direction, Chang said.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration
By the weekend it could pass over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and approach the north of Taiwan, he said.
Although the chances of making landfall in Taiwan are slim, its forecast is still unclear and requires further observation, he added.
Also early this morning, another tropical depression formed just northeast of Taiwan proper, Chang said.
Although the conditions are not conducive to strengthening, it could intensify into a tropical storm tomorrow morning, he said.
Even if it does become a named storm, it would likely dissipate quickly, he added.
Whichever forms first would be named Bebinca, while the second would be named Pulasan.
Due to the effects of the tropical depression, the north and east of Taiwan is to see scattered rain with a chance of downpours today, Chang said.
Afternoon thundershowers are possible in the central, south and mountainous regions, he said.
The rest of this month is expected to be active in the Pacific, Chang said, adding that the CWA is monitoring another system east of the Philippines that could form after the weekend.
DEEPER REVIEW: After receiving 19 hospital reports of suspected food poisoning, the Taipei Department of Health applied for an epidemiological investigation A buffet restaurant in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) is to be fined NT$3 million (US$91,233) after it remained opened despite an order to suspend operations following reports that 32 people had been treated for suspected food poisoning, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. The health department said it on Tuesday received reports from hospitals of people who had suspected food poisoning symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, after they ate at an INPARADISE (饗饗) branch in Breeze Xinyi on Sunday and Monday. As more than six people who ate at the restaurant sought medical treatment, the department ordered the
A strong continental cold air mass and abundant moisture bringing snow to mountains 3,000m and higher over the past few days are a reminder that more than 60 years ago Taiwan had an outdoor ski resort that gradually disappeared in part due to climate change. On Oct. 24, 2021, the National Development Council posted a series of photographs on Facebook recounting the days when Taiwan had a ski resort on Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County. More than 60 years ago, when developing a branch of the Central Cross-Island Highway, the government discovered that Hehuanshan, with an elevation of more than 3,100m,
Taiwan’s population last year shrank further and births continued to decline to a yearly low, the Ministry of the Interior announced today. The ministry published the 2024 population demographics statistics, highlighting record lows in births and bringing attention to Taiwan’s aging population. The nation’s population last year stood at 23,400,220, a decrease of 20,222 individuals compared to 2023. Last year, there were 134,856 births, representing a crude birth rate of 5.76 per 1,000 people, a slight decline from 2023’s 135,571 births and 5.81 crude birth rate. This decrease of 715 births resulted in a new record low per the ministry’s data. Since 2016, which saw
SECURITY: To protect the nation’s Internet cables, the navy should use buoys marking waters within 50m of them as a restricted zone, a former navy squadron commander said A Chinese cargo ship repeatedly intruded into Taiwan’s contiguous and sovereign waters for three months before allegedly damaging an undersea Internet cable off Kaohsiung, a Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) investigation revealed. Using publicly available information, the Liberty Times was able to reconstruct the Shunxing-39’s movements near Taiwan since Double Ten National Day last year. Taiwanese officials did not respond to the freighter’s intrusions until Friday last week, when the ship, registered in Cameroon and Tanzania, turned off its automatic identification system shortly before damage was inflicted to a key cable linking Taiwan to the rest of
RSS