Taiwan Today

Residents should take all necessary precautions against torrential rains as a pair of typhoons moving toward Taiwan have gained strength, the Central Weather Bureau said Oct. 1. Typhoon Parma, the 17th typhoon of the year, and Melor, the 18th, Oct. 1 increased strength to become strong and medium typhoons, respectively. The CWB said if the two typhoons should interact through the Fujiwara effect, rotating around a common center, it would influence their paths. Forecasters should be able to tell Oct. 3 whether they will proceed directly toward Taiwan. Rains from the typhoons will hit the island ahead of their winds. CWB forecaster Wu Wan-hua said Parma will gradually lose speed Oct. 3, but its periphery will run up against a front to the north and northeasterly monsoon winds, which could interact with the typhoon to greatly increase the amount of rainfall. Liu Koung-ying, dean of Chinese Culture University’s College of Sciences, explained that Taiwan experiences northeasterly monsoon winds in the fall, and when a typhoon rotating counter-clockwise nears the island the interplay of the cold monsoon winds and warm, water-laden typhoon brings extremely heavy rain. The United States-based Cable News Network, following its accurate prediction that Typhoon Morakot would inflict heavy damage on Taiwan, warned Oct. 1 that Parma could develop into a super typhoon with winds of over 240 kilometers per hour. Based on weather data from the U.S., Japan and Taiwan, CNN said Parma is moving in a more westerly direction and could strike Taiwan head on. Typhoon Parma is traveling in a west-northwesterly direction and turning to the northwest, while Melor is proceeding west-northwest, and both are gaining in intensity. The CWB pointed out as the Pacific high pressure system to the north weakens and moves to the east Parma will slow down, and could reach the seas south of Taiwan Oct. 4 or 5. If Typhoon Melor, trailing close behind, picks up speed and catches up with Parma, it could induce the Fujiwhara effect, which could not only change their paths but also greatly heighten their intensity. On the afternoon of Oct. 1 the two storms were about 2,400 kilometers apart. The CWB said for the Fujiwhara effect to occur they need to be around 1,000 kilometers distant, and their speeds and relative strengths are also factors. CWB forecaster Douglas Hsiao said as of 8 p.m. Oct. 1, Parma’s center was located on the ocean 860 kilometers east-southeast of Manila in the Philippines, advancing northwest at 20 kilometers per hour. Melor was 780 kilometers east of Guam, moving west-northwest at a speed of 13 kilometers per hour. The tropical depression between the two storms, which had the potential of developing into another typhoon, was absorbed into Parma’s periphery when its cloud system weakened. (THN)