Taiwan issues maritime alert for strengthening Tropical Storm Noul

Taiwan issued a maritime alert late Thursday as Tropical Storm Noul continues to strengthen east of the Philippines and approaches waters south of the island. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is closely monitoring the storm's trajectory.

The alert specifically targets vessels operating in the Bashi Channel, the sea lane separating Taiwan from northern Philippines, as well as areas around Pratas Island (Dongsha) and the southern Taiwan Strait. Mariners are urged to maintain a state of "maximum alert."

As of Friday morning, Noul was located approximately 457 kilometers southeast of Taiwan's southernmost cape, Eluanbi. It was moving west-northwest at 26 kilometers per hour. The CWA reported that Noul has maximum sustained winds of 72 km/h near its center, with gusts exceeding 100 km/h.

Meteorologist Tseng Chao-cheng of the CWA indicated that Noul is expected to retain its tropical storm status while traversing the Bashi Channel. There is a possibility of further intensification over the South China Sea before it potentially makes landfall in China's Guangdong province as a typhoon. The storm's outer bands are forecast to begin affecting Taiwan on Friday, with the most intense rainfall expected on Saturday, particularly in the eastern counties of Hualien and Taitung, and the southern Hengchun Peninsula.

This storm follows closely on the heels of Typhoon Bavi, which caused 135 injuries and over 3,000 incidents in Taiwan two weeks prior. In mainland China, Bavi led to the evacuation of over 1.7 million people in Zhejiang province and disrupted air travel. Typhoons are a common occurrence during Taiwan's summer and autumn, posing risks to life, property, and economic activity.

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the phenomenon will maintain tropical storm strength as it crosses the Bashi Channel and could intensify over the South China Sea before making landfall in China's Guangdong province as a typhoon.