Macau is expected to experience persistent showers and thunderstorms this week as a low-pressure area over the South China Sea continues to develop, according to a statement by the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) yesterday.
The local observatory said that a broad low-pressure trough over the South China Sea is bringing unstable weather conditions to Guangdong’s coast, with frequent downpours and thunderstorms forecast for Macau throughout the week, noting that last weekend’s hot and sunny weather was caused by the outer subsidence of Tropical Cyclone Bavi, despite the storm making landfall in Zhejiang Province and moving inland.
The straight-line distance between the southern coastline of Zhejiang and Macau is about 1,000 kilometres.
Several of Macau’s urban monitoring stations recorded yesterday temperatures of 34 degrees Celsius or above, with the apparent (“feels-like”) temperature reaching the “very hot” level, the statement said.
According to the latest forecasts, the low-pressure area over the South China Sea is gradually strengthening, with some numerical weather models suggesting it could rapidly develop into a tropical cyclone, the statement pointed out.
However, the observatory said that there remains considerable uncertainty over its development and pledged to continue closely monitoring the system before issuing any necessary weather warnings.
Regardless of whether the system intensifies into a tropical cyclone, the observatory expects cloudy skies, frequent showers and thunderstorms to continue across Macau this week, with precipitation becoming more widespread around the middle of the week.
The observatory urged residents to stay alert for thunderstorms and strong wind gusts, check the latest weather updates before travelling, and adjust outdoor activities accordingly, encouraging the public to use its still experimental “Macau Weather” mobile application and official WeChat account for the latest forecasts and weather alerts.
In a further update issued later yesterday, the observatory said that the low-pressure area is expected to move closer to the Pearl River Estuary today, with winds in Macau forecast to reach Force 4 to 6 with gusts. While it remains uncertain whether the system will strengthen into a tropical cyclone, the observatory said it would assess whether to issue a tropical cyclone signal or a strong monsoon signal.
Frequent showers and thunderstorms, with periods of heavy rain, are expected from today, prompting the observatory to warn of a relatively high risk of flooding caused by prolonged rainfall. Residents were advised to monitor the latest weather information and take necessary precautions.
This infographic released by the Macau Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) yesterday shows its sea level pressure and precipitation forecast map for today. Translation from Portuguese arranged by the Post.
