WEATHER
Storm not a worry: CWA
A low-pressure system in the northwestern Pacific that was early yesterday upgraded to a tropical storm named Jongdari would not affect Taiwan directly, but might bring heavy rain to the south, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The system had been over waters east of the nation and south of Okinawa before it intensified into the ninth tropical storm of the year in the region at 2am yesterday, it said. The storm would have no direct impact on Taiwan as it drifts northward toward the East China Sea and South Korea, it said. Jongdari was 450km east of Taipei at 8am, moving at 17kph to 30kph in a north-northwesterly direction. It had maximum sustained winds of up to 65kph, with gusts reaching up to 90kph, CWA data showed. The storm’s movement might bring heavy rain to central and southern Taiwan as the southwesterly seasonal winds strengthen today, the agency said. Taiwan is currently influenced by the intertropical convergence zone and southwesterly seasonal winds, which could cause rainfall in Taiwan’s southern areas, CWA forecaster Chen Pei-an (陳姵安) said. With Jongdari moving northward, precipitation is expected to expand to Yunlin County today, she said. Meanwhile, the country would experience exceptionally high tides from yesterday to Friday, the CWA said. People in low-lying areas near the coastline from New Taipei City to Chiayi County should be on guard against seawater intrusion, Chen said.
DIPLOMACY
Francois Wu takes new post
Former representative to France Francois Wu (吳志中) on Sunday officially assumed the post of deputy minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Wu, who became the representative to France in 2018, was previously deputy minister of foreign affairs from May 20, 2016, to July 2018 during the administration of then-president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). Immediately after his inauguration on May 20, President William Lai (賴清德) named Wu deputy minister of foreign affairs following six years in Paris. However, Wu remained in his post until the conclusion of the Paris Olympics before returning to Taiwan, the ministry said. His successor is Hao Pei-chih (郝培芝), former head of the Civil Service Protection and Training Commission. Hao is the first woman to serve as Taiwan’s top envoy to France. She was a member of the advisory committee at the Mainland Affairs Council from 2007 to 2009.
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
Snow this morning fell on Alishan for the first time in seven years, as a strong continental cold air mass sent temperatures plunging across Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Alishan weather station, located at an elevation of about 2,200m in central Taiwan, recorded snowfall from 8:55am to 9:15am, when the temperature dropped to about 1°C, the CWA said. With increased moisture and low temperatures in the high-altitude Alishan area, the conditions were favorable for snow, CWA forecaster Tsai Yi-chi (蔡伊其) said. The last time snow fell at the Alishan weather station was on Jan. 10, 2018, while graupel fell there
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