The air quality in areas of the nation’s north and west yesterday was rated “unhealthy,” as a lack of wind and stable weather failed to disperse atmospheric pollutants, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said.
As of noon, the agency’s air quality index (AQI) showed orange at 10 monitoring stations, including seven in the northern region, the Air Quality Monitoring Network showed.
An orange rating indicates unhealthy air for sensitive groups, while red means unhealthy air for the general public.
The AQI was expected to continue showing orange or be upgraded to red later yesterday in the regions, as the conditions were not right for dispersing atmospheric pollutants, the EPA said.
In southwest and eastern parts, the air quality is to be either good or fair, the agency said.
The index takes into account ozone, PM2.5 and PM10 particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide concentrations in the air. PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller.
Conditions for dispersing atmospheric pollutants would continue to be unfavorable in northern Taiwan today, the agency said, adding that the AQI is expected to show orange in the evening.
It advised people in areas with poor air quality to avoid outdoor activities if their eyes become irritated or if they begin coughing or developing a sore throat.
People with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases, children and older people in affected areas should use a mask or avoid staying outdoors, the EPA said.
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such
Tropical Storm Nari is not a threat to Taiwan, based on its positioning and trajectory, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Nari has strengthened from a tropical depression that was positioned south of Japan, it said. The eye of the storm is about 2,100km east of Taipei, with a north-northeast trajectory moving toward the eastern seaboard of Japan, CWA data showed. Based on its current path, the storm would not affect Taiwan, the agency said.
The cosponsors of a new US sanctions package targeting Russia on Thursday briefed European allies and Ukraine on the legislation and said the legislation would also have a deterrent effect on China and curb its ambitions regarding Taiwan. The bill backed by US senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal calls for a 500 percent tariff on goods imported from countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports — targeting nations such as China and India, which account for about 70 percent of Russia’s energy trade, the bankroll of much of its war effort. Graham and Blumenthal told The Associated Press
RSS