Tropical storm Chaba strengthened into a typhoon on Saturday night. But forecasters say it is not likely to hit Taiwan as originally feared.
Forecasters say the typhoon will veer north toward Okinawa, drawing closest at around noon on Monday. They say the typhoon is likely to then head toward the northeast, affecting the southern Japanese islands of Shikoku and Kyushu before possibly moving toward Tokyo. Chaba will become the eighth typhoon to affect Japan this season.
As of Sunday afternoon, Chaba was located about 1,000 km east of Okinawa. The Central Weather Bureau says that the typhoon is likely to bring rain to parts of northern Taiwan, with scattered showers expected in the southeastern part of the island. Forecasters say that mountainous areas, in particular, should expect rain.
Although the chance of Chaba hitting Taiwan is slim, the Central Weather Bureau says it is closely monitoring the typhoon. It urged Japan-bound travelers to double-check flight information before traveling. Already, several major airlines have announced flight cancellations on routes between Taiwan and Japan.