6 p.m. Saturday, July 29, Taiwan time: 12W has been upgraded to a tropical storm by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and has been named Hatiang, Chinese for flowering crabapple. At 2 p.m., Haitang was 306 miles southeast of Hong Kong, crawling north-northeast at 6 mph, 46-mph sustained winds and 58-mph gusts at center. Haitang remains just outside the Philippines' area of responsibility. Haitang's forecast track takes it closer to Taiwan than before; it's due to pass 30 miles west of Kaohsiung at noon Sunday and 88 miles west of Taipei, the island's capital, 10 hours later, barely grazing Taiwan's west coast before hooking north into southeastern China early Monday morning. A typhoon warning hass been issued by the Central Weather Bureau, first time since 1967 that land typhoon warnings have been issued by CWB for two such storms simultaneously.Noon Saturday, July 29, Taiwan time: Tropical Depression 12W has completed a quick, short, tight circle and has begun heading northeast toward Taiwan before curving north into forecast landfall over China sometime mid-morning Monday, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Peak winds are forecast to be 46-mph sustained and 58-mph gusts at mid-morning Sunday. https://metoc.ndbc.noaa.gov/ProductFeeds-portlet/img/jtwc/products/wp1217.gif
At 8 a.m., 12W was 311 miles south-southeast of Hong Kong, crawling northeast at 6 mph with 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center. 12W is projected to track well west of the Philippines and come within 58 miles southwest of Kaohsiung at mid-evening Sunday and 150 miles west-southwest of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, early Monday morning, then burrow ashore over southeastern China at mid-morning.
10:30 p.m. Friday, July 28, Taiwan time: Tropical Depression 12W is beginning a slow turn, toward the south in preparation for forecast curve northeast toward the western edges of Taiwan this weekend, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
At 8 p.m., the as-yet-unnamed 12W was 278 miles south-southeast of Hong Kong, still packing 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at center. It’s forecast to peak Saturday morning at 46-mph sustained and 58-mph gusts and maintain that strength as it skims Taiwan’s west coast before plowing into southeastern China at mid-morning Monday.
4:30 p.m. Friday, July 28, Taiwan time: A new tropical depression, 12W, has spawned Friday about 250 miles southeast of Hong Kong, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Initial track has it headed west at 9 mph with 35-mph sustained winds and 46-mph gusts at its center, but 12W is forecast to turn northeast, skim the west coast of Taiwan before plowing ashore in east China late Monday. Initial model guidance is in good agreement with some variables. If it becomes a named storm, it will be called Haitang, Chinese for flowering crabapple.
