A new tropical storm that has formed east of Taiwan is not expected to affect the nation directly, but is forecast to bring heavy rain to the south.
Tropical Storm Jongdari at 2am today became the ninth Pacific cyclone of the year, and the fifth to form from the same low-pressure system in the past two weeks.
It is expected to move northward toward South Korea without directly affecting Taiwan, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration
However, its northern movement is to intensify the southwestern monsoon today and tomorrow, bringing heavy rain to the center and south of the country, and localized downpours elsewhere, he said.
Daniel Wu (吳德榮), an adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University, said that the latest European model shows the low-pressure system gradually dissipating over the next two days.
However, the southwest monsoon is still crossing over Taiwan, bringing a chance of localized heavy thunderstorms as it interacts with the terrain, he said.
The Pacific high is to strengthen from Wednesday to Sunday, bringing clear and hot weather across the country.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3