Taipei: The Central Weather Administration (CWA) announced on Friday that southern Taiwan is bracing for heavy to torrential rain through Monday, attributed to southwesterly winds and a low-pressure system. Other regions should prepare for afternoon downpours due to these weather conditions.

According to Focus Taiwan, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung emphasized that southern Taiwan will encounter heavy rain, showers, and thunderstorms until Monday, with certain localized areas experiencing torrential downpours. Huang also mentioned the potential for heavy or short-duration torrential rain in the afternoons, driven by stronger convective activity and daytime heating.

The low-pressure system is anticipated to gradually move away from Taiwan on Tuesday, though abundant moisture will persist. Central and southern Taiwan might witness scattered brief showers or thunderstorms, with localized heavy rain possible, while other regions remain mostly cloudy with afternoon thunderstorms and localized heavy rainfall.

By Wednesday and Thursday, rainfall is expected to decrease, with southern Taiwan experiencing only occasional brief showers. Other regions will likely see partly cloudy to sunny skies with the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms.

In parallel, the CWA reported that Tropical Storm Saudel is gaining strength as it moves northwest, potentially intensifying into a typhoon within the next two days. As of 2 p.m. on Friday, the storm's center was approximately 440 kilometers northeast of Guam and 3,020 kilometers east of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point.

Huang noted that Tropical Storm Saudel is forecasted to approach the Ryukyu Islands by Wednesday. However, its future trajectory remains uncertain, with possibilities of turning north, shifting west, or moving south toward waters near Taiwan, while potentially weakening.