Typhoon Mangkhut Intensifies, Might Reach Taiwan by Saturday |山竹轉強颱 週六起影響東半部 恆春半島

The headline is the latest on Typhoon Mangkhut, which continues to intensify and is now qualified as a strong typhoon. The typhoon is expected to approach the water off Taiwan's Southeast coast on Friday, and to affect the east coast and Hengchun Peninsula. Whether the typhoon will make landfall depends on the fluctuation in the high pressure above the Pacific Ocean.


Typhoon Mangkhut has just been qualified as a strong typhoon. It continues to intensify over the ocean, 2,000 km off Taiwan's coast. The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said that starting on Friday, the peripheral circulation of the typhoon will start to affect the climate in Taiwan's eastern coastal area, and the Hengchun Peninsula.

We anticipate that the typhoon would affect the coastal area starting as soon as Saturday. So far, it looks like the areas that will be affected the most will be the eastern regions, and the coastal Henchun Peninsula. The question remains as to how much the typhoon will affect Taiwan's weather, including the rainfall volume in central and northern Taiwan.

Whether Typhoon Mangkhut will make landfall largely depends on how much the high pressure over the Pacific Ocean weakens over the course of Thursday. The typhoon is likely to pass through Bashi Channel if the high pressure remains steady. However, if the high pressure fluctuates too much, the typhoon's path might change towards the north, resulting in a greater probability of making landfall.

If the high pressure over the Pacific Ocean slightly weakens on Thursday, then Typhoon Mangkhut might move slightly to the north and get closer to Taiwan's shore. However, we'll continue to monitor its distance from Taiwan.

The CWB especially warned the public that the Mangkhut has become a level-seven strong typhoon, and its diameter is measured at 250 km. The CWB also said that the typhoon will continue to intensify as it approaches the Philippines and its size will increase to the point where it becomes the strongest typhoon in Taiwan's proximity this year. Its changing path and intensity will also affect the rainfall volume. The CWB has asked the public to pay attention to the latest updates.