Several parts of northern Taiwan will be doused with more rain than expected, as Tropical Storm Nesat continues to gain strength and size, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said Sunday.
Mountainous areas in Taipei and Yilan County can expect maximum accumulated rainfall of 1,100 millimeters during the storm’s passage south of Taiwan over the next few days, the CWB said, changing its rain forecast for those areas from 900 mm.
The weather bureau also adjusted its forecast for mountainous areas in Taoyuan, saying the maximum accumulated rainfall is likely to be 800 mm, rather than 700 mm.
The rain forecasts were upgraded because Nesat is increasing in size and strength, the CWB said, warning residents, particularly in areas north of Taoyuan, to stay alert.
Over the past three days, Datong Township in Yilan has recorded 1,000 mm of accumulated rainfall, the highest in Taiwan, according to the CWB.
As of 2 p.m. Sunday, Nesat was located 260 kilometers south-southwest of Eluanbi on Taiwan’s southern tip and was moving in a westerly direction at 16 kilometers per hour, the CWB said.
The storm had a radius of 200 km and was carrying maximum sustained winds of 108 kph, with gusts of up to 137 kph, it said.
Although Nesat is passing south of Taiwan, the areas most affected are in the northern half of the country, as the outer bands of the storm are carrying more rainfall than the center due to interaction with seasonal winds, which is typical of autumn storms, according to Wu Der-rong (吳德榮), an adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University.
The seasonal northeasterly winds are predicted to strengthen over the next few days, sending temperatures down lows of 18 degrees Celsius in northern Taiwan and 20 degrees elsewhere, Tuesday into Wednesday, the CWB said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel