[quote=“Dragonbones”]Well, the first typhoon (trop. storm Chanchu) of the year to potentially affect Taiwan’s weather is here:
http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc/warnings/wp0206.gif
Looks like it might bring extra rain to the south.[/quote]
Funny, I can’t get that site to work at all. The same info is here though.
nrlmry.navy.mil/tc_pages/tc_home.html
Looks like this is gonna be a big one and is lined up with Hong Hong now.
Yeah… “Taiwan Apocalypse!” – Hehe, prolly what Taipei would look like if China were to ever attack - God forbid… Thx for the kind words Fee! 
Got this in today’s Taipei Headlines:
Friday, May 12, 2006
Taiwan to see heavy rains as storm approaches
Heavy rains are expected to start affecting Taiwan on Sunday, Mother’s Day, as the outer bands of one of this year’s first tropical storms in the region approaches the island, the Central Weather Bureau (中央氣象局) noted on Thursday.
However, based on the current path, the probability of a direct hit by Tropical Storm Chanchu is not very high, the CWB has forecast.
The approach of another weather front is during that same time also expected to bring slightly cooler temperatures, the CWB said.
Wuu Woan-hwa, the chief forecaster at the CWB, said that the bureau would not be able to determine whether the Chanchu would head for Taiwan until Saturday, when the storm is expected to pass over Luzon Island, Philippines and make a turn into the South Sea.
The direction that Chanchu takes on Saturday would be critical, Wuu stressed.
He nonetheless cautioned that whether or not Chanchu hits Taiwan directly, the weather from Sunday to next Thursday will be influenced by the peripheral circumfluence of Chanchu and another weather front.
These factors are highly likely to bring heavy rains all over the island, except for southern Taiwan, he said.
The weather front, approaching from the north, will bring cooler temperatures ranging from 19 to 25 degrees Celsius from Sunday to Thursday in northern and northeastern Taiwan, the CWB said.
Meanwhile residents of Taoyuan County have been urged to store water ahead of the storm, as downpours would adversely affect the Shihmen Reservoir’s purification capacity, forcing suspension of the water supply to Taoyuan County.
According to the CWB, Chanchu was located east-southeast of Elanbi on Thursday evening, traveling at a speed of 24 kilometers per hour. The radius of the storm was estimated at about 200 kilometers, the CWB said.
I love the idea that you get water shortages because of all the rain.
Anyone remember the date of the first 'phoon of last year? I’m sure it was a lot later in the season than this one. It’s gonna be a long old summer if this is indicative of what’s in store.
Oh, and much as I like those photos, please don’t stretch the page like that. It’s really annoying when you have to scroll from side to side to read anything.
Ha.
Just had a call from a friend who’s on holiday in the Philippines right now. On Wednesday he was talking to someone about the typhoon season and they told him it starts in mid-June. :bravo: :bravo:
He’s spent the last 36 hours hunkered down in his beach hut, and emerged this afternoon to find that the tree which shades it has blown down, and the restaurants along the beach have disappeared. No reports of loss of life in his area, and transport links may be working again on Monday.
Suddenly I feel all invigorated and glad to be alive.
Looks like Hong Kong is going to get slammed by a SUPER Typhoon.
I hope it speeds up a bit. I want to do some diving in Kenting next weekend.
Actually, not just a Super Typhoon. The CWB has rated this one a Super-Duper Typhoon! 
Does this seem really early for a typhoon of any type? Typhoon season seems to be getting longer and longer. Runs from May - Dec. now.
The typhoon season is longer than the break.
Wind is going to gust to 320+ km/hr. I hope this thing stays away from me.
according to navy site (prog reasoning) 2 models show it turning and heading for the taiwan strait. so it may just still head this way.
Tropical Storm Toad?
Tropical Storm Toad?[/quote]
Or it could be Tropical Storm Eradication (剷除 chǎnch
Tropical Storm Toad?[/quote]
Yeah, that was my first thought too! 
Here’s the forecast track at present:
That just means more rain, rain, rain… :s 
This thing is making a slight move to the North-Aast 
, but slowed down to 13km - hr. So this still could scrape the West coast no? Any chance we got a long-weekend folks? Or am I too optimistic?
What the heck, those 32 in the philippines payed the highest price.
[quote=“ceevee369”]This thing is making a slight move to the North-Aast , but slowed down to 13km - hr. So this still could scrape the West coast no? Any chance we got a long-weekend folks? Or am I too optimistic?
What the heck, those 32 in the philippines payed the highest price. [/quote]
Too optimistic IMO. THe storms have to be stronger (wind-wise) upon impact to cancel stuff. This is most likely merely going to graze us. It’s got to have the JTWC circle right on us, or no go.
On the other hand, this CWB site has it gaining strength as it skirts up the coast. If it turns even more eastward than that…
I think the Chinese name is Zhenzhu, or “pearl”.
Yeah, you’re right of course, but the truth is rarely as much fun as fiction. BTW, the romanizers should be, as usual, drawn and quartered.
珍珠 = chanchu? :loco:
My students told me that the name of it is the same as the little balls they put in milk tea…so, is that what it means? “Pearl milk tea”?
My students told me that the name of it is the same as the little balls they put in milk tea…so, is that what it means? “Pearl milk tea”?[/quote]
Yes.
Yeah, they’re calling it typhoon pearl (颱風 珍珠) here in HK too.
Here’s the HK observatory track.
Rough ride in on the ferry this morning. Of cours these wankers in HK are loathe to hand out typhoon days. It’s a totally different and woeful culture here in any case. I was told on my first flag eight or whatever the hell they call it, that “it merely means you are supposed to go home, it says nothing about not working once you get there.”
Grrrr.
HG
Now declared to be the strongest storm on record for this early in the season in the South China Sea area.
