Taipei: Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Saturday issued heat alerts for seven municipalities, warning residents that temperatures could reach 36 degrees Celsius or higher in New Taipei, Kaohsiung as well as Pingtung and Changhua counties, which received the alert three days in a row. At press time, the agency issued a yellow-level heat warning for Taipei, Tainan and Yunlin County, and an orange-level alert for New Taipei, Kaohsiung, Changhua and Pingtung counties.
According to Focus Taiwan, the yellow-level alert signifies that daily maximum temperatures in these areas could reach or exceed 36 degrees, while an orange alert indicates that the mercury of a municipality has hit at least 36 degrees for three consecutive days. The CWA also warned that highs exceeding 36 degrees are forecasted for mountainous areas of the greater Taipei area and the same terrains down south.
Meanwhile, highs around the rest of Taiwan will range between 32 and 35 degrees, the CWA said, adding that in Taiwan’s off
shore counties, Penghu will experience temperatures ranging between 27 and 32 degrees, Kinmen from 27 to 32 degrees, while Matsu could see 26 to 31 degrees. The CWA also said the nation will be experiencing southwesterly winds.
The front will also bring localized brief showers across the Hengchun Peninsula. Sporadic showers will also be seen between central and southern Taiwan in the morning. After noon on Saturday, brief showers could also be observed in areas north of central Taiwan, as well as the northeastern and southeastern parts of the island, and in mountainous parts of the nation. The mountainous areas in the western half of Taiwan could also see a chance of localized heavy rain, said the CWA.
According to independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong, there is a high chance over the next 10 days that a tropical disturbance could develop above the waters of the Pacific Ocean north of Guam. He added that there is a 50 percent chance the disturbance could develop into a tropical storm that will move towards
the sea south of Japan before making a turn on a northeast trajectory. As such, the current forecast predicted that a potential tropical storm would not directly affect Taiwan.
