Hinamnor upgrades to Super Typhoon

• Sherry Shan / Staff Reporter

The Central Weather Service announced yesterday that Typhoon Hinnamnor has been upgraded to a super typhoon as it moves southwest toward Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.

As of 2 p.m. yesterday, the center of Hinnamnor was 1,390 kilometers east of Taipei, and the storm was moving southwest at about 21 kilometers per hour, the agency said.

The maximum wind speed was 184 kilometers per hour, and the radius of the typhoon reached 220 kilometers.

The typhoon is expected to move about 840 kilometers east of Taipei by 2pm today.

Bureau forecaster Liu Yuqi said at a press conference in Taipei that Hinnamnor was the first super typhoon of the year.

The storm’s guiding stream is expected to weaken and drift around the Ryukyu Islands by tomorrow or Friday, he said.

Another tropical system, about 800km away from Hinnamnoor, could develop into a tropical cyclone, he said, adding that interactions between the typhoon and the system could cause Hinnamnoor to turn south.

But Liu said it could merge with Hinnamnor as the tropical system would have less time to develop.

It is unclear whether the system will evolve into a tropical storm, he said.

“We will monitor the typhoon and see if it heads south tomorrow through Saturday. Expect it to slow down significantly on Saturday,” he said. “During this period, the typhoon is about 500km away from Taiwan, and it is not yet known whether a maritime warning for Hinnamnor will be issued.”

High temperatures are expected nationwide today and tomorrow, and rain is likely in central and southern Taiwan, he said.

According to Liu, due to the surrounding circulation of the typhoon, it will start raining in northern, northeastern and eastern Taiwan tonight.

He said there is a high chance of showers nationwide as they are expected to be closest to Taiwan on Saturday and Sunday, with heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in northern Taiwan and the coastal areas of Keelung.

He said the rains will abate by Sunday, when Hinnamnor travels from Taiwan.

One to two more typhoons are expected in the fall, according to the bureau, adding that the interaction between the typhoons and the northeast monsoon is likely to bring heavy rains to northern and eastern Taiwan throughout the season. .

Overall, the autumn will likely be warmer and rainfall will likely fall within normal limits, the agency said.