Three to five typhoons are expected to directly affect Taiwan this summer, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
The typhoon season generally lasts from July through September.
There is a very small chance that an El Nino or La Nina will form this year — phenomena that can cause climates in some regions to deviate from normal patterns — weather forecast center director Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) said at a presentation yesterday.
About 21 to 25 tropical storms or typhoons will form in the northwest Pacific Ocean from this month through December, Lu said, adding that an average of 23.1 typhoons form in the region each year.
The bureau forecasts that three to five typhoons are likely to directly affect Taiwan, Lu said, adding that the annual average for the nation is 3.6 typhoons.
The bureau’s data show that 70 percent of typhoons that hit the nation are classified as “moderate” to “strong,” Lu said.
Taipei last year saw 77 days of temperatures reaching 35°C or higher, which was unprecedented, Lu said, adding that the weather pattern was mainly caused by La Nina and global warming.
Taipei is not likely to see the same phenomenon this summer, he said, although record-high temperatures might occur occasionally.
The bureau expects next month and August to be relatively dry, with rainfall over the whole summer expected to fall within normal parameters.
The highest temperature yesterday of 36.1°C was recorded at 1:07pm in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋), with the second-highest of 35.6°C recorded in Taipei at 12:10pm.
Meanwhile, the majority of the rainfall in this year’s plum rain season — from May through this month — was brought by two fronts hovering over the nation from June 1 to June 4, and from June 14 to June 18.
This month’s rainfall exceeded previous records, according to data from weather observation stations in New Taipei City’s Tamsui (淡水), as well as Keelung and Nantou County’s Anbu (鞍部), with the cumulative rainfall in those areas reaching 914mm, 820.4mm and 1m respectively.
Taitung County’s Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) has recorded only 7mm of rain so far this month.
Its lowest rainfall for June was set in 2015, when it recorded 31.9mm of rain.
Despite torrential rain that caused damage in northern Taiwan, this year’s plum fains were still within normal parameters, Lu said.
In related news, hundreds of people have this summer been diagnosed with heat-related illnesses, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Sunday.
Since the start of the month, 318 cases of heat-related illness have been reported nationwide, with 80 cases reported from Thursday through Sunday last week, ministry statistics showed.
People need to prevent dehydration, which can lead to heat exhaustion, preceded by dizziness, headaches and nausea, Taipei’s Tri-Service General Hospital Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Heatstroke director Pauling Chu (朱柏齡) said.
When a person’s body temperature reaches 40°C, they are diagnosed with heatstroke, Chu said, adding that people should drink water every 20 to 30 minutes, and remember that the first three hours are critical to saving the life of someone who has heatstroke.
Additional reporting by CNA
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