TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典), former head of the weather administration, on Thursday (July 11), highlighted that the necessary conditions for typhoon formation around or near Taiwan are still insufficient.
Cheng analyzed the current conditions of the typhoon season and explained further through illustrative satellite images posted on his Facebook page.
Cheng marked red and yellow boxes on the images to represent the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and the monsoon trough, respectively.
He explained that the red box near the equator shows a nearly continuous cumulus cloud band, indicating the ITCZ, while the yellow box marks the intersection of the monsoon trough and the ITCZ.
Cheng mentioned that some scholars consider the monsoon trough part of the ITCZ, but others believe they have distinct characteristics and should be viewed separately. He also clarified that most typhoons in the northwest Pacific develop from cloud clusters within the monsoon trough or the ITCZ.
The weather expert pointed out that, based on experience, the typhoon season typically starts when the convection center line in the yellow box moves north of 15 degrees north latitude.
However, he noted that the convection in this area currently remains slightly south, indicating that conditions are not yet adequate.
As the typhoon season progresses, experts and the public will closely monitor these developments to better understand and prepare for potential impacts.