The legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday approved the Central Weather Bureau’s (CWB) budget proposal for the next fiscal year.
And rather than questioning whether the bureau had inflated the costs of any item on the budget, lawmakers instead asked if the accuracy of weather forecasts would be compromised with such a small amount allotted to the nation’s weather authority.
The bureau has budgeted a total of NT$165 million (US$5 million) for the next fiscal year, a 0.7 percent increase compared to last year’s budget.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuo Wen-chen (郭玟成) asked if the bureau would suffer because of the budget cut to the Transportation Committee, which reduced funding for some of the science projects initiated by the bureau.
Other legislators, on the other hand, complained about the accuracy of the bureau’s rainfall forecasts.
They pointed to the amount of accumulated rain when Typhoon Kalmaegi hit the nation in July, which exceeded the amount forecast by the bureau and flooded many parts of central and southern Taiwan.
DPP Legislator Yeh Yi-ching (葉宜津) said the bureau had sent the information on the amount of expected rainfall to the administrative authorities in charge of water resources when the typhoon hit the nation, but the latter did not seem to take the information seriously.
The budget review went smoothly and was wrapped up by 12:30pm.
Based on the budget proposal, the bureau will try to compile a six-month weather forecast by 2012. Currently, the bureau has provided daily, weekly, monthly as well as seasonal weather forecasts.
The seasonal weather forecast service began in 2005.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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