Thu, May 28, 2026 page3

• Taiwan News Quick Take

  • Staff writer, with CNA
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  WEATHER

  Heat alerts issued

  Taipei yesterday hit its highest temperature on record for May, reaching 38.3°C in Zhongzheng District (中正) at noon, the Central Weather Administration said. The previous highest May temperature recorded in the city was 38.2°C on May 28, 2021. The agency yesterday issued heat alerts for 13 regions, warning that temperatures could climb to 38°C or higher amid scorching summer-like conditions. It placed Tainan and Pingtung County under a “red alert,” indicating a possibility of extreme temperatures exceeding 38°C for three consecutive days, while “orange alerts” were issued for Taipei, Keelung, New Taipei City, Kaohsiung, Chiayi city and county, and Changhua, Yunlin, Hualien and Taitung counties, indicating temperatures could exceed 38°C yesterday or reach 36°C for three consecutive days. The agency also said a tropical depression east of the Philippines had strengthened into Tropical Storm Jangmi, which is forecast to move northwest toward waters south of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands. Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said the latest US forecast models showed the storm passing near the Ryukyu Islands in about five days before veering sharply to the northeast. Jangmi currently poses no direct threat to Taiwan, but uncertainty remains over its future track, he said. While temperatures across Taiwan could approach 40, conditions are expected to ease slightly later in the day, and a seasonal rain front is forecast to move southward tomorrow, bringing showers and lower temperatures across Taiwan, he said. The front is expected to weaken and shift toward the Bashi Channel on Saturday, leaving northern Taiwan cloudy, while other regions could still see isolated showers. Weather conditions are expected to turn partly cloudy on Sunday, with afternoon thunderstorms likely in parts of central and southern Taiwan, Wu said.

  FESTIVALS

  Canada Day on June 27

  An outdoor festival featuring Canadian music and food is to be held in Taipei on June 27 to mark the 40th anniversary of Canada’s representative office and the nation’s 159th birthday, the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) announced yesterday. Canadian Representative to Taiwan Marie-Louise Hannan said the annual event is to take place at Hakka Cultural Park from 1pm to 9pm, and feature live music and cultural performances, authentic Canadian food and beverages, and family-friendly activities. The festival has become “a very important celebration not just for Canadians living in Taiwan, but also for people in Taipei and throughout Taiwan who travel to the capital to join the festivities,” she said. The festival has drawn as many as 10,000 visitors in previous years. Hannan said it also affirms what brings Canada and Taiwan together. “Between Canada and Taiwan, we share some really clear and enduring convictions. We believe in democracy, in the strength of diversity, in openness to the world, and also in the value of partnership,” she said.

  FISHERIES

  Grouper turned sports drink

  The Fishery Research Institute has developed a protein-packed instant drink powder from grouper heads, making use of a part of the fish that might have gone to waste, and it is now working with a commercial partner to market it. The Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday said that export demand for frozen grouper fillets has surged in recent years, leaving 20 percent of the fish’s flesh remaining in the head and other byproducts during processing. To prevent that from going to waste, the institute, in collaboration with Fu Jen Catholic University, developed a powder drink that contains more than 90 percent crude protein. Researchers tested the effects of the powder on fitness and stamina. They used human skeletal muscle cells in vitro to simulate exercise-induced fatigue and found that the powder reduced lactate accumulation from anaerobic metabolism during exercise by 13 percent. They also found that laboratory mice fed a single dose of the powder were able to run 1.62 times longer than usual, and their muscle glycogen storage increased to 1.64 times the normal level. The institute is transferring the technology to a private company for commercialization, hoping to tap into the fast-growing nutrition supplement market.
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