While northern Taiwan recovers from the fallout of Mongolian sandstorms, seasonally poor air quality was beginning to affect central- and south-western parts of the country.
Environmental Protection Administration officials said the situation would not significantly improve before the weekend.
The officials also urged people with respiratory diseases to avoid outdoor activities over the next few days.
The average particulate matter concentration in air in central and southern Taiwan measured early yesterday exceeded 200, the highest this winter.
The highest level, 254, was measured in the city of Touliu, Yunlin County.
By comparison, data from the administration's Environmental Monitoring and Data Processing Bureau indicated that the highest reading during the sandstorm from China was 199, in Taoyuan County.
According to the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI), the air quality in central and southern Taiwan measured yesterday was "unhealthy," because most readings were higher than 100, officials said.
PSI is calculated based on concentrations of a variety of pollutants, including particulate matter (known as PM10), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone.
As of press time, the PSI level was 117 in central Taiwan, 119 in the area of Yunlin and Chiayi counties and 103 in Nantou County.
"The bad air quality can be attributed to local pollutants and had nothing to do with Chinese sandstorms," Shieh Ping-fei (
Shieh said that the administration had asked local governments to enforce strict controls on mobile and fixed sources of air pollutants, including automobiles, factories and construction sites.
Wu Cheuan-fang (
The Central Mountain Range blocks the prevailing northeast winds of winter from reaching the west, particularly between Tai-chung to Kaohsiung, allowing pollution to build up in these areas.
According to the Central Weather Bureau, the next weather front will not arrive until Sunday, and the poor air quality will continue across western counties until then.
EPA officials said sandstorms usually occur between January and May in Mongolia, sometimes bringing pollutants from northern China, where industrialization has been extensive in recent years.
Neighboring territories, including the Korean peninsula and Japan are usually affected.
The smallest particles sometimes drift as far as Taiwan, triggering respiratory diseases.
A sandstorm originating Mongolia last Thursday was monitored by NASA's Earth Observatory, which offers free satellite imagery and scientific information about the Earth via the Internet.
According to the observatory's Web site, the increased use of coal and wood for heating in the winter across eastern China often leads to a widespread haze, as evidenced by the vast gray pall of pollution hanging over much of the country on Sunday.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as