TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Tropical disturbance 93W near Guam will likely strengthen into Typhoon Matmo Tuesday (Sept. 30), meteorologists predict. The Taiwan Typhoon Forum (台灣颱風論壇), a weather monitoring Facebook page, reported the system is intensifying and could soon reach typhoon status. Pacific weather patterns suggest the storm will track westward toward the Philippines and potentially affect Taiwan's eastern coastline.
Pacific high pressure will steer the developing typhoon steadily westward, with its outer circulation potentially impacting Taiwan's eastern counties of Hualien and Taitung. Weather experts emphasize monitoring the storm's northward trajectory, which could determine the severity of effects on Taiwan's mountainous eastern regions. The system's exact path remains crucial for assessing potential impacts on the island's population centers.
System 93W will likely cross northern Luzon Friday (Oct. 3), with minimal probability of directly striking Taiwan, forecasters predict. A separate typhoon system may threaten Taiwan during the second week of October, according to the weather forum's analysis. The forum detected clear signals of this secondary system approaching Taiwan, though meteorological variables require continued monitoring to determine its precise trajectory and intensity. ◼