The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that Taiwan is likely to be influenced by three to five tropical storms or typhoons in the second half of this year, following a relatively quiet first half of the year.
The forecast is close to the historical average, the CWA said at a news conference in Taipei on projected typhoon activity in the coming months.
An average of 26.09 tropical storms or typhoons formed annually in the Pacific and South China Sea region between 1958 and last year, with more than half occurring in July, August and September, according to the CWA Web site.
Photo: CNA
CWA Weather Forecasting Center director Chen Yi-liang (陳怡良) said that during those three months, the two most common storm tracks are one passing between Taiwan and the Philippines, and one turning north over the waters east of Taiwan.
Whether the storms would directly impact the nation depends on their distance from Taiwan, he said.
The forecast follows a first half of the year in which only two storms were observed, lower than the historical average of 4.3, but Chen said that this was not considered an extreme anomaly, adding that there have been six instances during the same period with fewer than two storms — three years with only one storm and three with none.
To minimize the potential impact of upcoming storms, the weather agency said it would introduce wind forecasts for coastal towns. Local governments can use the information to decide whether to suspend work and school, it said.
China has reserved offshore airspace in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from March 27 to May 6, issuing alerts usually used to warn of military exercises, although no such exercises have been announced, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported yesterday. Reserving such a large area for 40 days without explanation is an “unusual step,” as military exercises normally only last a few days, the paper said. These alerts, known as Notice to Air Missions (Notams), “are intended to inform pilots and aviation authorities of temporary airspace hazards or restrictions,” the article said. The airspace reserved in the alert is
NAMING SPAT: The foreign ministry called on Denmark to propose an acceptable solution to the erroneous nationality used for Taiwanese on residence permits Taiwan has revoked some privileges for Danish diplomatic staff over a Danish permit that lists “Taiwan” as “China,” Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of European Affairs, told a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Reporters asked Huang whether the Danish government had responded to the ministry’s request that it correct the nationality on Danish residence permits of Taiwanese, which has been listed as “China” since 2024. Taiwan’s representative office in Denmark continues to communicate with the Danish government, and the ministry has revoked some privileges previously granted to Danish representatives in Taiwan and would continue to review
The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
China has reserved offshore airspace over the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from March 27 to May 6, issuing alerts that are usually used to warn of military exercises, although no such exercises have been announced, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sunday. Reserving such a large area for 40 days without explanation is an “unusual step,” as military exercises normally only last a few days, the paper said. The alerts, known as notice to air missions (NOTAMs), “are intended to inform pilots and aviation authorities of temporary airspace hazards or restrictions,” the article said. The airspace reserved in the alert
RSS