Seasonal winds from the northeast are expected to lower temperatures starting this weekend, with northern and eastern Taiwan likely to see daytime lows of about 20°C and highs between 26°C and 28°C through Thursday, the Central Weather Bureau said. An increase in humidity could bring showers during the period.
The cold air should have less of an effect on central and southern Taiwan, where temperatures are expected to range from 22°C to 32°C with slightly cloudy to sunny skies, the bureau said.
The bureau added that Typhoon Phanfone is unlikely to directly affect the nation in the coming days, as it would likely move northeast toward the main islands of Japan after passing Okinawa.
Those planning to travel to Japan over the weekend should watch the storm’s development for possible flight disruptions, it said.
In other news, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said next week would be a significant one for stargazers, as a total lunar eclipse, the peak of a meteor shower and the brightening of a planet are all expected on Tuesday.
The Draconid meteor shower peaks late on Tuesday night, producing up to 10 shooting stars per hour, the museum said.
The Draconid meteor shower is created each year when Earth passes through a trail of dust left over by the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, an icy wanderer of the solar system that orbits the sun once every 6.6 years.
In addition, the planet Uranus is to be at its brightest for the year on Tuesday when it reaches opposition, which occurs when Earth passes between Uranus and the sun.
Meanwhile, a total lunar eclipse is to be visible between 6:30pm and 7:30pm on Tuesday, weather permitting, the museum said.
The last time a lunar eclipse and a Uranus opposition occurred simultaneously was in September, 2006, the museum said, adding that such a coincidence is not due to take place again until November 2022.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
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Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
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