Print

Mail

wiki links

EPA predicts a dry and dusty spring

The nation can expect a dry and dusty spring with the La Nina effect dehydrating the soil and causing sand to permeate the air, the Environmental Protection Administration said yesterday at a press conference.

"Those with heart or respiratory conditions should refrain from rigorous outdoor activities during February and March, when La Nina is at its peak," the administration's department of environmental monitoring and information management director-general Chu Yu-chi (朱雨其) said.

La Nina, meaning "little girl baby" in Spanish, refers to the extensive cooling [0.4oC lower than the standard temperature] of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean regions that occurs for five months or more, Chu said.

La Nina is the "opposite" of El Nino, meaning "little baby boy" in Spanish, in which the abnormal temperature climbs 0.4oC higher than the annual average temperatures for more than five months, he said.

Citing Central Weather Bureau data, Chu said that this year would be a La Nina year.

"Less precipitation can be expected during the months of February and March, which means that the soil in both Taiwan and nearby countries [such as China] would be dry and dust will be kicked up into the air," he said.

With cold fronts coming from China, the chance of heavy dust, or even dust storms, is therefore higher this year compared to years without La Nina, he added.

"The heavy dust warning issued by the administration last year on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 were preludes to the dusty spring to come," he said.

Besides avoiding the outdoors, Chu advised people to opt for mass transportation to help keep the air clean.

Citizens concerned with the air quality can receive updated information on dust levels by signing up to the dust information newsletter on the administration's Web site at taqm.epa.gov.tw/dust_news.
This story has been viewed 1187 times.