Temperatures at the Taipei weather station hit 38.3°C yesterday afternoon, the hottest May temperature recorded by the station since it was established in 1896, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
The temperature was recorded shortly before 3pm at the station in Taipei's Zhongzheng District (中正), surpassing the previous May record of 38.2°C set twice, on May 28, 2021, and May 27, 2018, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said.
The extreme heat could be attributed to the combined effects of a Pacific high-pressure system, reduced cloud cover and descending air currents brought by southwesterly winds, which pushed temperatures up across the Taipei basin, Tseng said.
Photo: CNA
Overnight, the heat remained unusually intense, with the Taipei station recording a low of 28.7°C early yesterday morning as southwesterly winds slowed nighttime cooling, Tseng said.
Across Taiwan, the highest temperature yesterday was recorded in Tainan’s Yujing District (玉井) at 39.8°C, while Xindian District (新店) in New Taipei City reached 39.6°C, CWA data showed.
Similar conditions are forecast for today.
The CWA issued heat alerts for 12 cities and counties, saying that New Taipei City, Tainan and Hualien County could experience three consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 38°C.
Temperatures in Kaohsiung Keelung, Taipei and Taoyuan, as well as Changhua, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Pingtung and Taitung counties, could hit 38°C or reach 36°C for three consecutive days, the CWA said.
As of 10:30am, temperatures had already reached highs of 37.2°C in Kaohsiung's Jiaxian District (甲仙) and 37°C in Pingtung County's Jhutian Township (竹田).
The highest temperature recorded in Taipei this morning was 34°C in Xinyi District (信義).
A seasonal rain front is expected to move southward tomorrow, bringing rainfall and lower temperatures after several days of extreme heat, independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said.
Meanwhile, Lin Tzu-ping (林子平), head of National Cheng Kung University's Building and Climate Laboratory, said that Taipei's urban heat island effect has become increasingly severe, with nighttime temperatures remaining dangerously high in densely built areas.
Temperatures in Taipei's Shilin District (士林) were still close to 30.6°C at 2am yesterday, reflecting what researchers described as a "tropical night" pattern in which accumulated urban heat dissipates slowly after sunset, the lab said.
Prolonged nighttime heat can pose greater health risks than daytime heat because the human body is unable to cool effectively during sleep, increasing cardiovascular stress and the risk of heat-related illness, particularly among elderly residents and people without air-conditioning, it said.
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