Typhoon Yutu could move closer to Taiwan than previously predicted

颱風玉兔可能比之前預測的更接近台灣

'Jade Rabbit will turn into a violent rabbit' potentially coming closer to Taiwan than previously expected


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- As Typhoon Yutu (玉兔, Jade Rabbit) continues to grow in strength, Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇), a weather analyst with WeatherRisk Explore Inc., said that, although the typhoon is currently not expected to strike Taiwan directly, it could come closer than previously predicted, causing cooler air to pour into the country.

According to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB), Typhoon Yutu is currently 3,025 kilometers east-southeast of Taiwan's southernmost tip of Eluanbi. Yutu is moving northwest at 21 kilometers per hour (kph), has a radius of 220 kilometers, and is packing maximum sustained winds of 183 kph with gusts of up to 226 kph.

On his Facebook page, Wu said that, due to warm ocean waters and low wind sheer, Typhoon Yutu could become a super typhoon, and its future path has the opportunity of moving closer to Taiwan than previously predicted. Wu said that as Yutu nears Taiwan, it could pull down more cold air toward Taiwan, causing temperatures to drop significantly next week.

Wu predicts that low temperatures could dip down to 15 or 16 degrees Celsius from Monday through Wednesday (Oct. 29 -31), when the sea winds and waves will be significantly strengthened by the compressed barometric pressure gradient.

Wu also pointed out that Typhoon Yutu opened its eye early this morning. On a Facebook post showing the typhoon with a clearly defined eye, Wu wrote, "After a night, Jade Rabbit will turn into a violent rabbit," implying that it will soon transform into a super typhoon.


CWB map of Typhoon Yutu's predicted path.


Joint Typhoon Warning Center map of Typhoon Yutu's projected path.


Japan Meteorological Agency map predicting Typhoon Yutu's path over the next 5 days.


Tropical Storm Risk map of tropical storm wind probabilities over next 120 hours.


NOAA satellite image of Western Pacific.


NOAA animated GIF of Western Pacific.


NOAA animated GIF of Typhoon Yutu.