Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on Thursday called on central government agencies to improve data sharing with the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) to mitigate damage caused by natural disasters, and assist farms and fisheries.
The nation’s limited area and diverse terrain makes weather forecasting and analysis crucial to water conservation, harvesting and event planning, Su said after the bureau gave a presentation at a weekly Cabinet meeting in Taipei.
Government agencies should collaborate more closely with the bureau, which in turn should disseminate useful data collected to the agencies and the public, he added.
Weather forecasting in Taiwan rates well internationally, but the bureau should continually improve the application of weather data by, for example, predicting reservoir levels to determine when to open floodgates or tracking typhoons to harvest crops before they hit to avoid flood damage, he said.
The data derived from weather forecasts are also essential to the nation’s offshore fisheries, Su added.
In the spirit of “paying tribute to the mountains,” a policy that he has introduced over the past year, Su said that accurate and timely weather forecasts are crucial for those assessing the risks of going mountain climbing or engaging in water activities.
Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said that the council has been the “greatest benefactor” of weather forecasts, which help farmers safeguard more than NT$1 billion (US$33.9 million) in agricultural products each year.
For example, thanks to weather data, the council could warn farmers that a southwesterly jet stream would bring many downpours, he added.
Meteorological data, when combined with big data, the Internet of Things and 5G applications, could contribute to improving disaster mitigation, as well as prevention and relief, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said.
The bureau could aim to employ such technology to provide agencies with customized weather data, he said.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS