First tropical storm forming, will not affect Taiwan

Taipei--A depression located east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm Wednesday morning but will not affect Taiwan due to the approach of seasonal northeasterly winds and a weather front in the coming days, the Central Weather Bureau said.

Tropical Storm Muifa, the first of its kind in this year's typhoon season, is currently located 1,800 kilometers east-southeast of Taiwan and moving in a west-northwest direction, according to the bureau.

The approaching seasonal winds and front, however, will impede the storm's development and cause it to lose momentum in the next two days as it changes course, meaning that Muifa will not bring moisture or have any impact on Taiwan, the bureau forecast.

The bureau said temperatures across Taiwan could fall to around 17 or 18 degrees Celsius on Thursday and Friday as a result of the arrival of the weather front and seasonal winds, and it urged people to have umbrellas with them when going out.

On Wednesday, daytime highs will reach 28 or 29 degrees in most parts of the country and hit as high as 32 degrees in southern and eastern Taiwan, it forecast.

Showers or thunderstorms are likely in the afternoon across the country, and temperatures will fall by 10 degrees at night in northern and northeastern Taiwan and to 21-23 degrees in other parts of the island.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel