Warm winds blowing down from the Central Mountain Range caused the temperature in Greater Kaohsiung to reach 37.6°C before noon yesterday, the highest temperature recorded since the observation station in Kaohsiung was established in 1932.
Statistics from the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) showed the new record was set at 11:49am. Previously, the highest temperature in the city was recorded on June 22, 1980, with the mercury climbing to 37.2°C.
Meanwhile, the temperature in Shinwu Township (新屋) in Taoyuan County reached 37.9°C yesterday, the highest temperature ever recorded in the county. Prior to yesterday, the highest temperature recorded in the town was 36.6°C, which was on July 21 this year.
Photo: CNA
The temperature in Hsinchu reached 37.5°C, and that in Greater Taichung and New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋) was 36.5°C and 36.3°C respectively.
The observation center in Chiayi recorded a temperature of 35.5°C yesterday afternoon, the highest seen in September since the center was built in 1968.
The unusual jump in temperature caused bureau forecaster Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典) to comment on his Facebook page that he had never seen such a “purple” Taiwan in September. Purple is the color used by the bureau to mark an area with a temperature of more than 36°C. Cheng said last week that there is a chance that the high temperatures of this month could set a new national record.
Forecaster Lin Jhih-hui (林智暉) said the nation experienced wind from the east yesterday because Typhoon Kalmaegi was passing near the coast of southern Taiwan. A dry, warm, down-slope wind was created when this wind blew over the Central Mountain Range, causing a rise in temperature.
Former director of the bureau’s forecast center Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said the wind from the east prevented humidity from the ocean, that typically makes landfall before noon, from blowing onshore.
“In Taiwan, extremely high temperatures occur if there is a typhoon near the nation which causes an apparent change in the direction of the wind. The phenomenon, known as a ‘foehn wind,’ happens in places that are on the leeward side of a mountain,” Wu said.
According to the bureau’s weekly forecast, temperatures are to drop slightly after Friday, when high temperatures are likely to drop to 29°C because of rain.
Today, the bureau forecast that showers or thundershowers would be seen in the nation’s southeastern and southern regions. Cloudy to sunny weather is forecast for the rest of the nation.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS