The nation must be prepared to cope with the consequences of droughts as well as floods because both could happen within the same year, a Central Weather Bureau (CWB) report said yesterday.
The report on climate change in the past 100 years showed that while there was no major change in the overall volume of rainfall between 1910 and last year, the number of days it rains has gradually decreased during this period of time.
However, days with rainfall volume exceeding 200mm have increased, the report showed. The data also showed that the number of rainy days each year has been reduced by approximately four days every 10 years.
An average of 129.75 days with rain was recorded annually between 1980 and 1999. The number has fallen to 119.43 in the past decade.
The nation saw its severest water shortage between 2002 and 2004, with the number of days of rain falling to 104.2, 94.7 and 103 respectively.
Torrential rain, on the other hand, happens more frequently. An average of 3.5 days of torrential rain was recorded annually between 1951 and 1980. The number rose to 4.9 days between 1980 and last year.
In related news, the nation’s water shortage problems could be relieved temporarily as a stationary front that arrived yesterday would boost the chances of rain nationwide for a week, the bureau said.
Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典), director of the bureau’s weather forecast center, said although the front is unlikely to bring heavy rain, rainy days could continue until Thursday next week.
Forecaster Wang Chun-sian (王君賢) said the front appeared to have a solid structure, adding that the nation, particularly the northeastern coast and the entire west coast, would see more rainfall on Monday and Tuesday.
Wang said the front would linger above the northern part of the nation, but it could also move south. Rain brought by the stationary front also helped ease the heat in Taipei, which had seen this year’s highest temperature of 36.1oC on Wednesday.
Wang said highs could drop to 27oC in northern Taiwan and to between 30oC and 31oC in central and southern areas.
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