TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Super Typhoon Chanthu (璨樹) is set to come closest to Taiwan on Sunday (Sept. 12), and meteorologist and WeatherRisk Explore Inc. CEO Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) predicts that a typhoon holiday is likely to be declared in the eastern half of the country.
As for the latest report issued by the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) on Friday morning (Sept. 10), the predicted path of Typhoon Chanthu has been adjusted to the east again. The super typhoon's eyewall could come extremely close to the eastern coast of Taiwan if not make landfall Sunday.
"If it's not Hualien, then it will make landfall in Yilan or New Taipei," said Peng to UDN. He added that the periphery of Chanthu will begin to impact Pingtung and Taitung counties on Saturday night (Sept. 11). He predicted that by Saturday night and into Sunday morning, the entire eastern half of Taiwan will be covered by the massive typhoon's periphery.
Peng said there is a strong possibility that Chanthu could make landfall anywhere between Taitung and New Taipei City, and therefore it is likely that a typhoon holiday will be declared in those areas on Sunday.
The meteorologist explained that for a typhoon holiday to be declared, sustained winds of up to Level 7 with gusts of up to Level 10 on the Beaufort scale must be reached. Based on current forecasts, Peng said there are strong odds that a typhoon holiday will be declared across the eastern half of the country by Sunday, adding that torrential rainfall will also be a factor in deciding whether to close offices and schools.
As for the possibility of a typhoon holiday in the western half of the country, Peng said more observation of the typhoon's path is needed. If the storm makes landfall in Yilan, Hualien, or New Taipei, the winds will be stronger in western Taiwan.
However, if Chanthu only enters the waters off the coast of east Taiwan, Peng said the winds may not reach the standard. In terms of rainfall, mountainous areas of central Taiwan, such as Nantou and Taichung, may see enough precipitation for local officials to declare cancelations.
