TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan faces potential weather disruptions as a tropical system's trajectory has veered northward, meteorologist Jia Xin-xin (賈新興) warned on Monday (June 9). The weather expert cited sophisticated European forecasting systems and artificial intelligence models that show favorable conditions for typhoon intensification stretching from the South China Sea to waters east of the Philippines. Jia further projected that a tropical depression will likely form just west of the Philippines' Luzon Island by Tuesday (June 10), potentially accelerating the storm system's development.
The northward movement of potential Typhoon Butterfly will draw moisture across Taiwan's western and southern regions, bringing rainfall to multiple jurisdictions including Chiayi County, Chiayi City, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung, according to Jia's analysis. The meteorologist explained that both Taiwan and neighboring southern China currently sit under an expansive low-pressure system that enhances precipitation potential. The weather pattern will intensify from Friday (June 13) through Sunday (June 15), when southwestern airflow will trigger substantial afternoon thunderstorms across the island, while southern areas from Chiayi southward may experience brief but intense localized rainfall during overnight and early morning hours.
Looking further ahead, Jia predicted that Taichung (台中), Taiwan's second-largest city, and areas to its south could experience short-lived morning precipitation on Monday, while scattered afternoon showers may develop across multiple regions. The meteorologist's extended forecast indicated that by next Tuesday, mountain areas and the northeastern coastal county of Yilan might see isolated afternoon rainfall. Regarding Typhoon Butterfly's ultimate path, current tracking models suggest the storm system could make landfall near China's Hainan Island (海南島) and Guangxi province (廣西). Jia specifically highlighted that the highly regarded European forecasting model indicates elevated chances that the typhoon could impact the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao. ◼