By MOOK Scenic Spots Family / Compiled and Reported
Surprisingly, a typhoon has formed in December, with Typhoon Nock-ten (international name: NOCK-TEN), the 26th of the year, strengthening into a severe typhoon. Its center is located at 13.1 degrees north latitude and 128.9 degrees east longitude, moving west-northwest then west at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour. The central pressure of the typhoon is 925 hectopascals, with maximum sustained winds near the center at 51 meters per second and gusts reaching up to 63 meters per second. The radius of the typhoon-force winds (Beaufort scale 7) is 180 kilometers, and that of violent winds (Beaufort scale 10) is 50 kilometers.
A rare December typhoon; its path currently poses no impact on Taiwan. (Image source / Central Weather Bureau)
The typhoon’s path will not affect Taiwan, but the moisture it brings along with peripheral cloud bands, combined with the southward movement of a cold air mass, will result in wet and cold weather starting from the evening of December 26. During the Christmas weekend, there may be occasional rain in the eastern and northern mountainous areas, with temperatures ranging between 15–25 degrees Celsius. There will be a large temperature difference between day and night. From December 27 to 29, the northeast monsoon will strengthen, causing temperatures to drop again. It is advisable to prepare more warm clothing.