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
The government should improve children’s outdoor spaces and accelerate carbon reduction programs, as the risk of heat-related injury due to high summer temperatures rises each year, Greenpeace told a news conference yesterday. Greenpeace examined summer temperatures in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung to determine the effects of high temperatures and climate change on children’s outdoor activities, citing data garnered by China Medical University, which defines a wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 29°C or higher as posing the risk of heat-related injury. According to the Central Weather Administration, WBGT, commonly referred to as the heat index, estimates
Taipei and other northern cities are to host air-raid drills from 1:30pm to 2pm tomorrow as part of urban resilience drills held alongside the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual military exercises. Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Yilan County, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to hold the annual Wanan air defense exercise tomorrow, following similar drills held in central and southern Taiwan yesterday and today respectively. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Maokong Gondola are to run as usual, although stations and passenger parking lots would have an “entry only, no exit” policy once air raid sirens sound, Taipei
Taipei placed 14th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities 2026 list, its highest ever, according to results released yesterday. With an overall score of 89.1, the city climbed 12 places from the previous year, surpassing its previous best ranking of 17th in 2019. Taipei is “one of Asia’s leading higher-education hubs,” with strong employer activity scores and students “enjoying their experience of the city and often keen to stay after graduation,” a QS staff writer said. In addition to Taipei, Hsinchu (71st), Tainan (92nd), Taichung (113th) and Taoyuan (130th) also made QS’ list of the top 150 student cities. Hsinchu showed the
Environmental groups yesterday filed an appeal with the Executive Yuan, seeking to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conditionally approved in February for the Hsieh-ho Power Plant’s planned fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving station off the coast of Keelung. The appeal was filed jointly by the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group, the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association and the Keelung City Taiwan Head Cultural Association, which together held a news conference outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei. Explaining the reasons for the appeal, Wang Hsing-chih (王醒之) of the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group said that the EIA failed to address
RSS