TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's meteorologists issued urgent warnings Thursday (Sept. 18) as twin tropical depressions TD20 and TD21 threaten to intensify into dangerous typhoons with potential direct impacts on the island. The Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象署), Taiwan's national weather service, forecasts TD21 could trigger sea typhoon warnings by Sept. 21, escalating to land warnings by Sept. 22. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) described TD21 as particularly formidable in social media posts, heightening concerns about the approaching storm systems.
Weather officials tracked TD20 at 18.9 degrees north latitude and 119.7 degrees east longitude in their 2 a.m. report, with the system moving northwest at 23 kilometers per hour (14.3 mph). Forecasters expect TD20 to achieve typhoon strength by 8 a.m. Thursday morning as atmospheric conditions continue deteriorating. TD21 remains positioned at 14.8 degrees north latitude and 133.9 degrees east longitude, advancing north-northwest at 12 kilometers per hour (7.5 mph) with typhoon intensification predicted between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The weather administration issued heavy rain advisories for Pingtung and Taitung counties as TD20's outer circulation bands threaten torrential downpours across Hengchun (恆春) Peninsula and Taitung regions. Meteorologist Lin De-en emphasized that favorable environmental conditions could propel TD21 to moderate or severe typhoon intensity, creating significant hazards for Taiwan. Lin warned that TD21 will approach closest to Taiwan between Sept. 22 and 24, delivering dangerous combinations of strong winds, heavy rainfall, and powerful waves to coastal areas. ◼
