Typhoon Muifa to Bring Torrential Rain to Taiwan 梅花今最近台 留意外圍環流帶來豪大雨

Typhoon Muifa's storm circle is starting to affect Taiwan's northern and eastern coasts. The Central Weather Bureau says the storm is unlikely to make landfall on Taiwan and the chances of a land typhoon warning being issued are low. Miufa will be closest to Taiwan on Sept. 12 and everyone should watch out for strong winds and torrential rain.

The coast guard closes off the beach at Hualien's Qixingtan and asks wave watchers to leave the area. The eye of Typhoon Muifa is continuing to move east-southeast up towards Taipei and the storm is already affecting Taiwan's eastern and northern coasts. The Central Weather Bureau has issued sea typhoon warnings for northeast, southeast and northern Taiwan.

Liu Yu-chi, Central Weather Bureau Forecaster: “The eye of the typhoon is currently passing through Japan's Ishigaki Island and the storm is expected to gradually shift north. Tomorrow at this time, it will be east or northeast of Taipei. Between today and tomorrow, it will decelerate and we expect the typhoon to accelerate north tomorrow evening.”

The Central Weather Bureau says Muifa will be closest to Taiwan on the 12th, and while the storm itself won't make landfall on Taiwan and a land typhoon warning is unlikely, its outer circle could still bring a lot of rain. The CWB is forecasting 371 millimeters of rain for New Taipei's Wulai; 280 millimeters for Taoyuan's Fuxing; 231 millimeters for Yilan's Taipingshan; and 213 millimeters for New Taipei's Shiding between midnight on the 10th and 12 p.m. on the 11th. Rain is expected to continue until the 13th.

Chia Hsin-hsing, CEO, E-Turn Engineering Consultants Co.: “Certain parts of Taiwan will be getting some rain in the next 24 hours, especially the mountainous areas north of Miaoli. These areas should be prepared for torrential rain.”

One expert says Muifa will shift north away from Taiwan on the evening of the 13th. Rain will abate on the 13th and weather conditions will stabilize before the end of the week with clear or partly cloudy skies. Tropical Storm Merbok, meanwhile, is not expected to affect Taiwan.

陣陣長浪不斷湧現，海巡人員趕緊在花蓮七星潭海邊拉起封鎖線，並加強巡邏嚴防民眾進入海灘觀浪。因為中度颱風梅花的中心在台北東南東方海面上持續向北移動，暴風圈正逐漸影響台灣東半部及北部海面，氣象局持續針對東北部海面、東南部海面、北部海面發布海上警報。

氣象局預報員劉宇其表示：「目前颱風的中心正在通過日本的石垣島，預計未來會逐漸的往北移動，明天的這個時候會來到台北東北東方的近海，今天到明天這段時間它的移速是比較緩慢的，我們預計在明天晚上之後，這個颱風會有往北加速的現象。」

氣象局表示，今（12）日是梅花距離台灣最近的時候，雖然暴風圈沒有直接侵襲台灣陸地，發布陸警的可能性再降低，但它外圍環流仍為台灣帶來可觀的雨量。根據氣象局觀測，從10日0時到12日上午11時，新北市烏來累積雨量已超過370毫米，桃園復興區也來到280毫米，宜蘭太平山及新北市石碇也都有231及213毫米，預估這波降雨將持續到13日。

台灣整合防災工程技術顧問公司總監賈新興表示：「未來24小時整個預估的降雨應該還是會有一些局部的地區，特別是在苗栗以北的一些山區，不排除還是會有局部的豪雨到大豪雨以上的一個降雨出現。」

賈新興表示，梅花颱風預計13日傍晚過後就會逐漸脫離北部海域，週三起北台降雨趨緩，週四到週六各地天氣就會恢復穩定，大多晴時多雲，至於稍早形成的輕度颱風莫柏因距台遙遠，未來移動方向也會再拉開距離，基本上對台灣沒有影響。