WEATHER
More plum rain expected
The third wave of plum rain arrived in Taiwan yesterday, bringing cloudy skies and occasional showers across the nation until tomorrow, independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said yesterday, adding that he expected sunny weather to resume on Tuesday. Wu forecast that another weather front would approach the nation late on Wednesday, bringing more rain. Meanwhile, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued heavy rain advisories for the northern half of Taiwan and heat warnings for regions in the south. The rain yesterday brought down temperatures slightly in northern and central parts of the nation, the CWA said. Temperatures ranged from 22°C to 26°C in northern Taiwan and 23°C to 31°C in central and northeastern Taiwan, it said.
Photo provided by the Central Weather Administration
TRANSPORTATION
Railroad tracks repaired
Rail traffic in Hualien County, which had been disrupted by a landslide, has fully resumed after about a week of intense repairs of damaged tracks, Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) said yesterday. A hillside section between Chongde (崇德) and Heren (和仁) stations in Hualien’s Sioulin Township (秀林) was fully repaired at about 10pm on Friday and trial operations were conducted. The western line of the section reopened with the first train running on it yesterday at 5:45am, operating under the speed limit to ensure safety, the state-owned company said. The eastern line on the section of the North Link Line reopened on Wednesday, as it had sustained less damage. The landslide occurred on Sunday last week following heavy rainfall in the region. About 200m of bridges and tracks were damaged, with about 3km of track buried under mud and rocks, including 140m inside a tunnel, the TRC said. In addition, about 300m of the main suspension wire and contact wire of the overhead catenary system were severed. Signal and communications fiber-optic cables, as well as the main power cable, were also damaged over 300m, it said.
ELECTRICITY
Summer rates to take effect
Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) has announced that higher summer electricity rates would be in effect from Sunday next week to Sept. 30 for about 15 million households and small businesses. Electricity bills for the general household were on average NT$478 higher during each summer month, according to the state-run company’s calculations based on past electricity use. However, about 70 percent of the higher cost is due to increased use of electricity from air-conditioning, and only 30 percent reflects the higher electricity rates, it said. Summer rates only apply to households that use more than 120 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in a month, meaning that about 3.83 million households that use less than that would not be affected by the higher summer rates, it said. The electricity rates for households are based on a progressive system with six levels. Households using more than 1,000kWh in a month would see summer electricity rates of NT$8.46 per kWh, while those using less power would enjoy the lowest rate of NT$1.68 per kWh, the company said. Summer electricity rates are implemented to reasonably reflect the cost difference of power supply during the peak season, it said. Taipower on Friday began charging about 26,000 high-voltage electricity users higher summer rates until Oct. 15.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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