TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan braces for torrential downpours as Typhoon Butterfly (蝴蝶), the season's inaugural storm, barrels toward Hainan Island with Friday (June 13) landfall expected. Weather expert Wu Der-romg (吳德榮) warned that the typhoon's expansive outer circulation will unleash moisture-laden systems across the island. The massive low-pressure system threatens to deliver punishing rainfall that could disrupt daily life and transportation networks throughout Taiwan.
Wu forecasts atmospheric chaos spanning Thursday through Saturday as Butterfly's moisture-rich outer bands trigger widespread instability. The meteorologist emphasized that eastern and southern Taiwan face the most severe rainfall threat over the coming 48 hours. Paradoxically, temperatures will remain sweltering despite the deluge, with northern regions experiencing 24 to 35 degrees Celsius (75.2 to 95°F), central areas reaching 23 to 36 degrees Celsius (73.4 to 96.8°F), southern zones hitting 23 to 33 degrees Celsius (73.4 to 91.4°F), and eastern territories recording 23 to 31 degrees Celsius (73.4 to 87.8°F).
European weather models project relief by Sunday, when diminishing moisture will restore Taiwan's typical hot, partly cloudy conditions punctuated by brief afternoon mountain thunderstorms. Wu's analysis reveals the massive low-pressure system originally stretched across the Philippines, spawning twin tropical disturbances within its circulation. The western system has intensified into the current typhoon, now tracking northwest-north under Pacific high-pressure steering, with Hainan Island directly in its crosshairs.
Wu highlighted the eastern disturbance's evolution into a loosely organized tropical depression that poses additional threats to Taiwan. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) computer models show this secondary system tracking directly toward Taiwan's shores. This convergence of weather systems will amplify rainfall across eastern and southern regions, potentially creating dangerous flooding conditions for millions of residents. ◼