Tropical Storm Fung-Wong to bring wind, rain to Taiwan

熱帶風暴鳳凰對台帶來多雲有雨的天氣

CWB not ruling out possibility of issuing sea warning for Tropical Storm Fung-Wong

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tropical Storm Fung-Wong (鳳凰, Phoenix) has shifted its course north towards the waters off the coast of eastern Taiwan and is expected to bring rain to the northern and eastern parts of the island.

At 2 a.m. this morning (Nov. 21), Fung-Wong was located 540 kilometers southeast of Taiwan's southernmost tip, Eluanbi, moving west-northwest at a speed of 16 kilometers per hour (kph), according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB). The tropical storm had a radius of 100 kilometers and was packing maximum sustained winds of 82 kph with gusts of up to 108 kph.

The periphery of the tropical storm is predicted to bring brief rains to northern and eastern Taiwan. As the day wears on, rainfall in eastern Taiwan as well as in Taoyuan County and all areas north will begin to increase noticeably.

CWB map of Fung-Wong's predicted path.

In addition, the storm's periphery will also bring winds reaching level 8 to 10 on the Beaufort scale to Tainan and areas to the north, to eastern Taiwan (including Green Island and Orchid Island), and to the Hengchun Peninsula, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. As the coasts of these areas will also likely see large waves, members of the public are advised to exercise caution when visiting the beach or engaging in offshore boating.

Meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) also said that a northeast monsoon will continue to affect Taiwan today, with the weather turning from slightly cold to wet and cool. The temperatures today will range between 17 and 23 degrees Celsius in northern Taiwan, 16 and 29 degrees in central Taiwan, 17 and 30 degrees in southern Taiwan, and 17 and 27 degrees in eastern Taiwan.

The CWB said that although Fung-Wong appears to be weakening slightly and has shifted to the east, it is not ruling out the possibility that it may issue a sea warning later today.

CWB satellite map of Western Pacific.