A wet air stream currently passing through northern Taiwan is expected to absorb a substantial portion of particulates, which have been detrimental to the nation’s air quality since winter last year, gradually cleaning up the atmosphere, the Central Weather Bureau’s Weather Forecast Center director Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典) said yesterday.
Referring to a satellite image, Cheng yesterday said on Facebook that a gust of northerly wind was bringing with it a large amount of vapor to the Taiwan Strait.
Part of the vapor has blown onto Taiwan, forming a mass of low-altitude clouds, he said.
As particulates tend to absorb vapor, they cloud the sky when the air is dry. Conversely, after the particulates have absorbed a certain amount of vapor, they become heavier and fall to the ground, clearing the air, Cheng said.
It should also be noted that limited visibility does not necessarily mean poor air quality, he added.
According to Cheng, the air current is passing through western Taiwan and into central Taiwan.
“At present, the air quality is gradually improving, starting in northern Taiwan,” Cheng said.
However, areas that are out of the air stream’s path, including Yunlin County, Chiayi County, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, will not benefit from it, Cheng said.
Meanwhile, precipitation is expected in northern and northeastern Taiwan starting today in the morning through Wednesday, thanks to the northeastern monsoon and abundant vapor.
The probability of rainfall in Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan this morning is 60 to 70 percent, with all three municipalities having a 90 percent likelihood for rainy weather tonight, with both the duration and amount of rain estimated to increase noticeably, the bureau said.
Precipitation in the three municipalities is expected to continue until Wednesday morning, followed by sporadic rainfall on Thursday.
However, whether the much-needed rain will help ease a prolonged water shortage remains to be seen, as it is still unclear whether the rain will fall in the catchment basins of reservoirs in the area, the bureau said.
The wet and breezy weather is also expected to drive temperatures down in northern Taiwan slightly in the early morning and at night, with temperatures dropping to between 14?C and 16?C, it said.
A tropical depression in waters east of the Philippines could develop into a tropical storm as soon as today and bring rainfall as it approaches, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, while issuing heat warnings for 14 cities and counties. Weather model simulations show that there are still considerable differences in the path that the tropical depression is projected to take. It might pass through the Bashi Channel to the South China Sea or turn northeast and move toward the sea south of Japan, CWA forecaster Yeh Chih-chun (葉致均) said, adding that the uncertainty of its movement is still high,
TAIWANESE INNOVATION: The ‘Seawool’ fabric generates about NT$200m a year, with the bulk of it sourced by clothing brands operating in Europe and the US Growing up on Taiwan’s west coast where mollusk farming is popular, Eddie Wang saw discarded oyster shells transformed from waste to function — a memory that inspired him to create a unique and environmentally friendly fabric called “Seawool.” Wang remembered that residents of his seaside hometown of Yunlin County used discarded oyster shells that littered the streets during the harvest as insulation for their homes. “They burned the shells and painted the residue on the walls. The houses then became warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” the 42-year-old said at his factory in Tainan. “So I was
THE TOUR: Pope Francis has gone on a 12-day visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. He was also invited to Taiwan The government yesterday welcomed Pope Francis to the Asia-Pacific region and said it would continue extending an invitation for him to visit Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the remarks as Pope Francis began a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific on Monday. He is to travel about 33,000km by air to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, and would arrive back in Rome on Friday next week. It would be the longest and most challenging trip of Francis’ 11-year papacy. The 87-year-old has had health issues over the past few years and now uses a wheelchair. The ministry said
Discounted 72-hour Taipei Metro passes are to be offered to China Airlines passengers until Feb. 28 next year, the airline announced today. China Airlines passengers may present their boarding pass for a discount of up to 34 percent when buying a Taipei Metro 72-hour unlimited travel pass. The offer is available to international travelers on international flights bound for Taipei. Within seven days of arrival, travelers can present their boarding pass, passport and proof of flight payment at an EZfly counter in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport or Taoyuan MRT Taipei Main Station to obtain the discounted passes, the airline said. One 72-hour pass
RSS