Tropical storm Lekima may affect Taiwan weather later this week

Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau upgraded tropical storm Lekima to typhoon status this afternoon, August 4, and said that northern and eastern Taiwan may feel effects as the storm passes to the east on Thursday and Friday, August 8 and 9.

The CWB observed that at 2:00pm, August 4, Lekima was located at 17.4 ° north latitude and 131.9° east longitude traveling at a speed of 5 kilometers per hour north west. The central air pressure measured 998 hectopascals with maximum wind-speeds near the center at 18 meters per second and maximum gusts of 25 meters per second.

While Taiwan’s CWB calls Lekima a typhoon, with different classification methods, Japan’s JMA calls it a tropical storm, and the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center calls it a tropical depression.

Accuweather reports that Lekima is expected to strengthen significantly over the next few days, and could go through “rapid intensification to super typhoon status,” before reaching Japan’s Okinawa prefecture as early as Thursday.

However, CWB forecasters predict intensification only to “moderate” typhoon status.

Due to the current distance and possible variations to its predicted path, the CWB is closely observing the storm and monitoring its possible influence on Taiwan.

CWB forecasters also note that current conditions in the South China Sea, and north-west Pacific Ocean are conducive to the development of more typhoons in the coming days.

Get the latest information on Tropical storm Lekima on Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau website.

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