Seven months after Typhoon Morakot killed 680 people in southern Taiwan, scientists yesterday suggested that global warming might not have caused the deadly rainstorm, but acknowledged that the Central Weather Bureau’s (CWB) forecasting ability has much room for improvement.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Science Council, Hsu Huang-hsiung (??, a professor at National Taiwan University’s department of atmospheric science, said weather research was based on patterns and not on an isolated event such as Morakot.
Scientists cannot rule out the possibility that global warming was the cause of the typhoon, but “the evidence we have so far does not directly indicate global climate change was the main cause,” he said.
The unusual weather patterns brought on by El Nino and the combination of two other typhoons in the Pacific rim — Goni and Etau — attributed to the strong winds and prolonged rainfall lasting a total of 64 hours between Aug. 6 and Aug. 9 last year.
Although the eye of the typhoon was located in the north, the asymmetrical structure of Morakot, which had higher concentrations of cloud and extreme precipitation in its lower region, resulted in torrential rain and strong winds in the southern of the country.
Hsu said Morakot was moving at a speed of 20kph, but the mountainous topography had slowed it to 10kph as it approached Taiwan and it even remained stationary at times, a fact that contributed to the torrential downpours in certain areas.
Morakot was classified as a medium to strong typhoon, equivalent to a category 2 hurricane. It brought a new rainfall record of 2,777mm for Alishan. The previous record of 1,736mm was set by Typhoon Herb in 1996.
Some 145 cities and townships, spanning nine counties, reported flooding. A total of 44 bridges and 138 highways were damaged by mudslides and floodwater. Several Aboriginal villages were destroyed, including Siaolin Village (小林), which was entirely wiped out. The estimated damage to agriculture was NT$11.1 billion (US$337.4 million).
The government was heavily criticized for its slow response to the disaster and several Cabinet members, including the former premier, were forced to step down.
While the scientists agreed that the strength of nature’s power was often unpredictable, Hsu said the CWB’s forecasting was lackluster and suggested the bureau update their satellite imaging equipment, strengthen exchanges with related international agencies, such as NASA, and build more detection centers in mountainous regions.
Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典), director of the CWB’s Forecast Center acknowledged that the bureau’s computer systems and equipment were not “as advanced when compared with other countries,” but maintained that the nation’s forecasting ability remained “up to scratch.”
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS