The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is monitoring Tropical Storm Usagi which developed from a tropical depression west of Guam in the early hours of Tuesday morning. It is one of four storm systems currently active in the area alongside Tropical Storms Yinxing, Toraji, and Man-yi. Sea warnings may be issued as early as Thursday.
According to the CWA, as of 8 a.m., Usagi’s center was approximately 1,650 kilometers southeast of Taiwan’s southernmost point, Eluanbi. The storm is currently tracking west-northwest at 27 kilometers per hour, with sustained winds at 72 kilometers per hour and gusts reaching up to 101 kilometers per hour.
Northern and northeastern Taiwan could see heavy rain Tuesday and Wednesday due to northeasterly winds, with rain easing and temperatures rising by Wednesday. Scattered showers and localized heavy rain are expected Friday and Saturday, except in the central mountains.
The CWA says that this is the first instance since 1958 of four tropical storms existing concurrently in November. It says this rare event could lead to the Fujiwhara Effect, where the storms might interact and even change each other’s paths. While it’s too early to tell how this could impact Taiwan, experts continue to monitor the storms closely for any changes.