A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the nation yesterday morning, the Central Weather Bureau said.
Bureau statistics showed that the quake occurred at 10:59am yesterday. The epicenter was located northeast of the bureau’s observation center in Yilan County at a depth of 20km.
The quake was felt nationwide, with the highest intensity being felt in Taitung, Hualien, Yilan and Taichung counties, as well as Changhua City. No people were injured or property was damaged as of press time last night. The bureau said the earthquake was caused by compression between the Eurasian and the Philippine Sea plates.
The bureau also issued a heavy rain alert for northern and northeastern regions, as well as mountainous areas in central Taiwan.
In related news, the Environmental Protection Administration said a sandstorm from China could start affecting the nation’s air quality today.
Pockets of sand may travel with the cold air and arrive in Taiwan, causing the density of suspended particles in the air to increase.
“If the frontal system brings rain, it could help ease the burden of the sandstorm on the air quality,” said Chu Yu-chi (朱雨其), director-general of the Environmental Monitoring and Information Management unit.
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