Taipei recorded 19 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) deaths on Tuesday and Wednesday, possibly prompted by cold weather, the Taipei Fire Department said yesterday.
On Tuesday, 14 people died after OHCA, with five dying on Wednesday, the department said.
Most of those who died were older than 80, it said.
While the exact causes of the deaths could not be determined, people with cardiac conditions or those older than 65 should take precautions, as abrupt temperature changes can cause vein constriction, leading to a stroke or myocardial infarction, the department said.
Changhua County reported 62 cardiovascular-related emergency calls and seven deaths in the 28 hours from 8am on Wednesday, while Yunlin County had reported three OHCA deaths as of 5pm yesterday.
Emergency responders said that the cold weather was to blame for the death of a 28-year-old soldier in Chiayi City, who collapsed on the first floor of his residence at 11:11am yesterday.
As doctors found no signs of injury and the man had no history of medical problems, the cause was determined to be a cold-related cardiovascular condition, police said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said that low temperatures are set to persist across Taiwan until tomorrow following the arrival on Wednesday of this winter’s first cold wave.
Temperatures are expected to remain at about 10°C across most of Taiwan today, with the mercury possibly dipping to 6°C in some areas, the agency said.
The CWA has warned of sustained temperatures of about 10°C in areas north of Hsinchu, Yilan and Hualien counties, as well as in Kinmen County, and 6°C in Lienchiang County.
In New Taipei City, Taoyuan and Hsinchu County, nighttime lows could dip to about 6°C, the CWA said.
In Kaohsiung, and Pingtung and Penghu counties, low temperatures would be 12°C to 13°C, it added.
The lowest temperatures recorded at low-elevation areas in Taiwan proper yesterday morning were 9.5°C at Fugui Cape (富貴角) in New Taipei City’s Shihmen District (石門) and 9.6°C in Taoyuan’s Yangmei District (楊梅), CWA data showed.
There is a chance of snow on some of Taiwan’s highest mountains, including Lalashan (拉拉山), Taipingshan (太平山) and Hehuanshan (合歡山), but it would depend on air moisture and temperatures, independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said.
Sleet fell on Yushan (玉山) yesterday after early morning temperatures fell to minus-1°C on the mountain’s north peak, the CWA said.
Sleet was recorded at about 11:20am at the weather station on Yushan 3,858m above sea level, it said.
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