High levels of ultraviolet light have been a regular feature of the past month, with statistics released by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday showing that the country has seen some very high levels of ultraviolet rays.
“In our monthly tally, we found the ultraviolet index level reached a record high of 22 on Lulin Mountain (鹿林) on July 18. In the Ilan area, ultraviolet levels were higher than the safe limit of 26 out of 31 days,” said Chu Yu-chi (朱雨其), head of the EPA’s environmental monitoring and information management division.
To fully protect themselves, people should wear plenty of high protection sunblock when outside, Chu said, adding that “if possible, avoid going out between noon and 2pm, as ultraviolet light levels peak during that time.”
Aside from sporadic afternoon showers forecast for the eastern part of the country, which is under the influence of the outer band of a tropical depression, the hot weather persisted yesterday, with temperatures reaching 35ºC to 36ºC in northern Taiwan and 33ºC to 34ºC in the rest of the country, the Central Weather Bureau said.
Chu said people braving the blazing sun over the next few days should protect their skin using plenty of sun block and also protect themselves against pollutants in the air, as the ultraviolet light and pollutant levels will be high all over the country.
“Downdrafts on the rim of the tropical depression, combined with high temperatures, will keep the ultraviolet light and ozone levels very high for the next few days,” he said.
Chu said that two tropical depressions — one close to Chongsha (中沙) and Sisha (西沙) islands and another to the east of the Phillippines — are approaching Taiwan. Whether either depression will evolve into a tropical storm or typhoon is still unknown, Chu said, but at the rim of tropical depressions are downdrafts, which slow the diffusion of pollutant particles.
Air quality in Taiwan proper — particularly in central and southern areas — will be therefore be poor, Chu said, adding that the main pollutant would be ozone.
The downdrafts similarly affect ultraviolet light levels, Chu said.
“When there are downdrafts, the atmosphere has relatively less cloud, so more ultraviolet light reaches the Earth, making the levels high,” he said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
A 79-year-old woman died today after being struck by a train at a level crossing in Taoyuan, police said. The woman, identified by her surname Wang (王), crossed the tracks even though the barriers were down in Jhongli District’s (中壢) Neili (內壢) area, the Taoyuan Branch of the Railway Police Bureau said. Surveillance footage showed that the railway barriers were lowered when Wang entered the crossing, but why she ventured onto the track remains under investigation, the police said. Police said they received a report of an incident at 6:41am involving local train No. 2133 that was heading from Keelung to Chiayi City. Investigators
RSS