The average temperature this autumn was 26.5°C, the warmest fall on record, while a higher-than-average 13 typhoons formed in the northwestern Pacific, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today.
The CWA held a news conference to discuss the upcoming winter, with Weather Forecast Center Deputy Director Lo Ya-yin (羅雅尹) first reporting trends from this past season.
The average temperature over the past three months was 26.5°C, marking the warmest fall since complete records began in 1951, Lo said, adding that fall temperatures have averaged around 25.1°C.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Rainfall was mostly concentrated in the north and east, with 644.2mm of accumulated rainfall, about the same as usual, Lo said.
However, there were only 26.5 days of rainfall, the fifth-lowest on record and well below the average of 33.9 days, she said.
Thirteen typhoons formed in the northwest Pacific this fall, above the average of 10.8, and two of them threatened Taiwan: Typhoon Ragasa in September and Typhoon Fung-wong this month, Lo said.
The total number of typhoons so far this year has been 27, exceeding the annual average of 25 to 26, she added.
Looking toward the winter, as the tropical Pacific Ocean is currently cooler in the east and warmer in the west, there is a more than 50-percent chance that a La Niña weather pattern would form, and a high chance of normal conditions returning in the spring, Lo said.
Considering current forecasts and international data, Taiwan is likely to have slightly below-average rainfall and slightly above-average temperatures from next month to February, she said.
As cold air masses move south and affect Taiwan, people should remember to keep warm and ensure proper ventilation when using gas heaters to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, the CWA said.
Since December to February is the dry season for western Taiwan, people should also be mindful of conserving water, it added.
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