The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) predicted Sunday that people in northern and eastern Taiwan and some mountainous areas in the south should be prepared for heavy rains starting Oct. 21 due to the combined effects of Typhoon Lupit and a northeast monsoon. Lupit, which was located about 1,380 kilometers east-northeast of Manila at 6 p.m. Sunday, is likely to strengthen into a super typhoon in the coming days, said CWB forecaster Wang Yao-hua. The typhoon, the 20th typhoon in the West Pacific this year, was moving slowly in a northeasterly direction under the influence of a front, but it is expected to intensify as it moves faster toward the north of Luzon and the Bashi Channel on Tuesday, according to Wang. The forecaster said it is still too early to predict if Lupit will hit Taiwan, but the storm's periphery will bring occasional rains to the northern and eastern parts of Taiwan Oct. 20. Downpours from Lupit's periphery and an intensifying northeast monsoon are expected to start the following day and last until the weekend. 