A southwest wind and a downdraft air stream brought scorching heat to northern Taiwan yesterday, with some cities reporting their highest temperatures recorded so far this year.
Central Weather Bureau forecaster Chang Hsin-hua (張心華) said the hot weather was mainly caused by a southwest wind, which brings in warmer air, and a low cloud volume.
In addition, a downdraft air stream also contributed to the high temperatures, she said, adding that seven cities saw their highest temperatures recorded so far this year.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
According to Chang, the temperature in Taipei rose to 36.7oC at 12:39pm. Temperatures reached 36.4oC in Keelung, 36.2oC in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋), 34oC in Hsinchu, 33.7oC in Yilan and 33.5oC in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水).
The mercury climbed to 37.3oC in Taitung County’s Dawu Township (大武) because of a foehn wind, Chang said.
Despite the high temperatures, none of them exceeded the highest May temperature on record, which was recorded in Taitung on May 9, 2004, when the mercury hit 40.2°C.
Chang said that today’s temperature is forecast to drop a little because of a change in wind — from the southwest to the north — with highs on the west coast expected to reach between 33oC and 34oC.
She said that the temperature is forecast to rise again nationwide on Wednesday due to the return of a southwest wind, before dropping on Thursday with a frontal system forecast to approach the nation.
The frontal system would affect the weather in the nation from Friday to Sunday and lower the temperature nationwide, Chang said, adding that the high temperature is to be between 29oC and 30oC in the north, 32oC in central areas and 32oC in the south.
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
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
RSS