Continental cold air masses are to bring overseas pollutants that would result in an “orange” air quality alert for Taiwan, with sensitive groups advised to avoid outdoor activities, the Ministry of Environment said today.
Under an orange alert, the ministry advises children, older adults and people with heart or respiratory conditions to limit outdoor activities, reduce physical exertion and wear masks when outside.
Healthy individuals who experience irritation or coughing should also cut back on outdoor activities, while students are advised to avoid prolonged or intense exercise.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
A haze was observed across parts of eastern China from Shandong to Shanghai yesterday, the ministry said in a statement.
As the continental cold air masses move south, the pollutants they bring would affect Taiwan's air quality, pushing it to mostly moderate or orange alert levels, it said.
Early morning radiational cooling is likely to cause pollutants to accumulate in southern Taiwan, while additional inflows of overseas pollution later today are expected to keep air quality at orange alert levels, the ministry said.
Air quality in central and northern Taiwan is expected to remain poor until tomorrow afternoon, before improving, while orange alerts in southern Taiwan could persist through Saturday, it said.
Conditions in southern Taiwan are forecast to improve on Sunday as a northeast monsoon strengthens and overseas pollution subsides, the ministry said.
Hourly concentrations of PM2.5, an indicator of airborne particles measuring 2.5 micrometers or less, in the Shanghai and Shandong regions — which lie upwind of Taiwan under northeasterly monsoon conditions and are considered key indicators of transboundary pollution — yesterday ranged from about 40 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) to 90μg/m3 and continued to rise, the ministry said.
Hourly concentrations of inhalable particles, or PM10, yesterday ranged from roughly 70μg/m3 to 110μg/m3 in the Shanghai and Shandong regions, it said.
In northern Taiwan, PM2.5 hourly concentrations could reach 25μg/m3 to 40μg/m3 this afternoon, with PM10 hourly concentrations reaching 50μg/m3 to 90μg/m3, the ministry said.
As northeasterly winds shift southward, air quality in most regions is expected to reach orange alert levels, the ministry added.
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