People across the country should brace for another cold and rainy weekend with the forecast arrival on Friday of a cold air mass that could send temperatures in the north to a low of 12oC, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday.
Bureau forecaster Douglas Hsiao (蕭家森) said the cold front lingering from the weekend would gradually weaken and temperatures would start climbing from today until Thursday.
While the sun showed its face in Taipei yesterday, Hsiao said the highest temperature in the city was only 15oC. Temperatures were warmer in central and southern Taiwan, with the mercury rising to 21oC and 22oC respectively.
Photo: Pan Hsin-hui, Taipei Times
However, the relatively stable weather is forecast to end on Thursday, with the arrival of another cold air mass with more humidity on Friday, Hsiao said.
Chances of rain are high nationwide, he said.
Hsiao added that the force of the cold air mass could potentially be weaker than last weekend’s cold wave, but the bureau was still monitoring developments.
The cold weather has a taken a toll on the fishery industry, with the Council of Agriculture reporting yesterday that milkfish losses since Jan. 6 already topped NT$7.8 million (US$264,400).
Milkfish is one of the nation’s most competitive aquaculture exports, with a majority of the fish farms located in the southwest.
As of 10am yesterday, Greater Kaohsiung’s Lujhu District (路竹) was the hardest hit, with losses reaching approximately NT$4.1 million. It was followed by Syuejia District (學甲) in Greater Tainan, with losses reaching NT$3.7 million.
Last weekend’s cold front, which brought temperatures down to their lowest readings this winter, also resulted in a spike in people seeking emergency care.
The emergency rooms of several hospitals across the nation were full, mainly with people suffering from chronic diseases.
A doctor at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in New Taipei City (新北市) said nearly 600 patients filled the hospital’s emergency room the previous day, about 33 percent more than usual.
The emergency room, where the temperature is lower than other wards, was so cold that some patients brought their own sleeping bags and blankets to keep warm, the doctor said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
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
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry
RSS