TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tropical Storm Saola strengthened to a typhoon early Saturday (Aug. 26), with the likelihood that it might make landfall in south Taiwan in the middle of next week.

Saturday at 8 a.m., the eye of the typhoon was located over the Pacific east of the Philippine island of Luzon, and moving south, away from Taiwan, at a speed of 7 kilometers per hour. However, on Sunday (Aug. 27) afternoon, it was expected to turn around and start a journey north and later northwest, taking it near Taiwan in the night from Aug. 30 to Aug. 31, the Central Weather Bureau said.

The typhoon was expected to begin influencing the weather across the country on Wednesday (Aug. 30), with sea warnings highly likely and even land alerts a possibility, per CNA. According to forecasts, Saola might even make landfall in Taitung County early Thursday (Aug. 31) morning before heading across Pingtung County and Kaohsiung City toward the Taiwan Strait.

However, that was just one of several scenarios, with another one seeing the typhoon pass over the Bashi Channel separating the Philippines from Taiwan and not making landfall. Saola’s route might also be affected by new tropical depressions emerging over the Pacific during the next week, according to forecasters.