TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A typhoon could form as early as Thursday night or Friday morning, but it will be weak, the Central Weather Administration said.
CWA forecaster Li Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said the 24th tropical depression of the season formed over the seas east of the Philippines, per CNA. It is expected to strengthen into Typhoon Matmo, moving across Luzon Island and heading toward the Leizhou Peninsula in China’s Guangdong Province.
Matmo will have a storm radius of about 120–150 km, Li said. It will not reach Taiwan’s sea warning zones, though its outer cloud bands may indirectly affect the country. Once in the South China Sea, the typhoon may intensify into a medium-strength system, but it would no longer affect Taiwan, the forecaster said.
On Friday and Saturday, the typhoon’s outer cloud bands may bring scattered showers or thunderstorms to eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula. At the same time, afternoon thunderstorms are also likely in the mountains, Li said. He added that Hualien will not see prolonged rainfall, so disaster recovery in Guangfu Township should be relatively unaffected.
By Tuesday and Wednesday, northeasterly winds will bring scattered showers to Keelung’s north coast, east Taiwan, and the Greater Taipei area. West Taiwan will remain mostly sunny to partly cloudy, Li said. Afternoon thunderstorms may occur in central and southern Taiwan and mountain areas.
Taiwan is still recovering from Typhoon Ragasa, which hit Hualien’s Guangfu Township especially hard. Ragasa left 17 dead, 107 injured, and seven missing.
