Periphery of Tropical Storm Podul to bring 3 days of rain to Taiwan

熱帶風暴「楊柳」周圍地區為台灣帶來3天降雨

Tropical Storm Podul to bring rain to Taiwan over next 3 days, new cyclone could form Monday

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- The periphery of Tropical Storm Podul is likely to bring rain to Taiwan over the next three days, while a new cyclone could form by Monday (Sept. 2), according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

Tropical Storm Podul, the 12th tropical storm of the year, formed on Tuesday (Aug. 27), has already blown over the northern Philippine island of Luzon, and is now situated in the South China Sea. The CWB predicts that, although Podul will not have a direct impact on Taiwan, the periphery of the tropical storm is expected to bring rains to Taiwan for the next three days.

Wu Der-rong (吳德榮), an adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University, said today (Aug. 28) that Podul will move to toward northern Vietnam without impacting Taiwan directly. Wu said that the latest weather models show signs of a tropical disturbance developing in the South China Sea by Monday.

CWB map of Podul's predicted path.

Weather Risk forecaster Lai Chung-wei (賴忠瑋) also pointed out that a low-pressure zone may form in the South China Sea next week. Early next week, the low-pressure area could rapidly accumulate moisture, said Lai.

Lai said that if the low-pressure system is large enough, it could bring southerly winds and moisture to Taiwan. Lai said that with the Western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) slightly retreating eastward, convective clouds are more likely to form and affect the weather around Taiwan.

The CWB said that due to the influence of Tropical Storm Podul's periphery, showers and thunderstorms are likely throughout the day in Hualien, Taitung, and the Hengchun Peninsula on Thursday (Aug. 29). On Friday and Saturday (Aug. 30 and 31), a wide swath of Taiwan will likely see rain.

From Friday through Saturday, rainfall is likely in southern and eastern Taiwan, while heavy rain could occur in central Taiwan in the afternoons, according to the CWB. The CWB predicts that the 13th tropical storm of the year, Lingling, will likely form early next week, but more observation is required to be able to estimate its scope and impact.

From Sunday through Tuesday (Sept. 1 to Sept. 3), a low-pressure zone will likely bring brief showers or thunderstorms in eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula. During this period, afternoon showers are possible in northern and central Taiwan.