Taipei: Typhoon Mekkhala is likely to come closest to Taiwan on Thursday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), which forecast localized rain or thundershowers in western and northeastern parts of the country for that day.
According to Focus Taiwan, as of 2 p.m. Monday, the eye of the storm was located 770 kilometers southeast of Cape Eluanpi, the southernmost point of Taiwan, and continued to move toward waters east of the Philippines. CWA forecaster Lai Hsin-kuo stated that the strength of Mekkhala has continued to intensify and is likely to become a typhoon with "intense intensity" as early as Monday night. Currently designated as a storm of "moderate intensity," its classification may change depending on its wind speeds.
A typhoon with an intense intensity is characterized by maximum wind speeds of more than 184 kilometers per hour, compared to 118-183 km per hour for a storm with moderate intensity, according to the CWA. Lai indicated that after Mekkhala comes closest to Taiwan, it will move in a northeasterly direction toward Japan, weakening as it progresses due to unfavorable environmental conditions.
On Thursday, when the typhoon is forecasted to be nearest to Taiwan, it will still be about 400 to 500 km away. Consequently, the CWA is not expected to issue a sea warning for the storm. However, under the influence of its outer band, Taiwan may experience brief showers or thundershowers in its western and northeastern regions, while the rest of the island is expected to have cloudy skies.
Lai mentioned that Mekkhala is anticipated to move away from Taiwan starting Friday. As a weather front weakens Sunday and Monday, typical scorching summer weather is expected to return. Before Wednesday, temperature highs are expected to reach 32-34 degrees Celsius across Taiwan, with 37 degrees possible in the Greater Taipei area, mountainous regions in central and southern Taiwan, and parts of Hualien and Taitung counties. From Thursday to Sunday, daytime highs are expected to drop slightly to 31-33 degrees, according to Lai.