Temperatures in Taipei reached a new summer high, climbing to 38.3°C yesterday, the Central Weather Bureau said.
The bureau said the high occurred at 11:38am and it was the fourth-hottest day in the city’s recorded history. The highest temperature ever recorded was 38.6°C — occurring in 1921, 2004 and 2010.
The highest temperature in Taiwan was recorded in Taitung County on May 9, 2004, when the mercury hit 40.2°C during a foehn wind.
The new record came only a day after the capital saw a high of 37.6°C on Monday.
Aside from Taipei, highs reached 33.9°C in Chiayi, 33.2°C in Greater Kaohsiung and 33.4°C in Yilan County.
The bureau’s temperature distribution map also showed that, except for the Central Mountain Range, the entire nation had day-time temperature readings exceeding 30°C.
Bureau forecaster Lin Pin-yu (林秉煜) said people in northern Taiwan are set to continue experiencing high temperatures until Friday.
Lin said that the chances of afternoon showers would be high in the northern, northeastern and central regions over the weekend, which could help drive down temperatures.
Meanwhile, the bureau forecast that mountainous areas would experience thundershowers today. Starting on Friday, chances of showers will also be high in southern Taiwan.
In related news, the Council of Labor Affairs dismissed media reports that the nation was considering giving workers a day off if it is struck by a heat wave.
Fu Huan-jan (傅還然), head of the Department of Labor Safety and Health, said guidelines regulating the work schedule for laborers working in high temperatures already exist.
Employers violating the guidelines could face a penalty of up to NT$150,000, he said.
Fu added that the council had indeed talked with the bureau and other government agencies last year about how to effectively prevent laborers suffering heat stroke.
However, he said the measures would not be executed by giving workers a day off when the nation is experiencing a heat wave.
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