About two to four typhoons are forecast to come close to Taiwan between now and November, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, as it also forecast that extreme heat would persist throughout the week, only dropping by 1°C after Friday.
The number of typhoons is slightly lower than the average of three to five, reflecting a weakening El Nino weather pattern and the possibility of a La Nina pattern approaching, CWA Weather Forecast Center Director Chen Yi-liang (陳怡良) told a news conference in Taipei.
While typically fewer typhoons develop under such conditions, their routes would be more likely to pass near Taiwan, Chen said.
Photo: Tsai Ssu-pei, Taipei Times
If a typhoon forms near the country, its intensity would be limited due to disruptions by unfavorable surroundings or land, he said.
A La Nina weather pattern would not significantly affect Taiwan in terms of temperature, but humidity might increase in the south, he said.
From January to this month, only two typhoons formed in the northwestern Pacific, which is lower than the average of 4.27, Chen said.
As rainfall brought by typhoons typically accounts for about half of Taiwan’s water supply, people should conserve water, he said.
At the same time, typhoons are Taiwan’s biggest natural threat, so disaster prevention is also important, he said.
From next month, the CWA would announce the expected and earliest time that a typhoon might hit a region to help people prepare disaster prevention measures, it said.
The CWA also reviewed this year’s plum rain season.
Statistics summing up rainfall for the season to Sunday showed total rainfall of 251.6mm this year, the fifth-smallest plum rain precipitation for the same period since 1950, Chen said.
The rainfall is only about 60 percent of the average of 409mm, Chen added.
Meanwhile, the whole nation could face highs of 36°C until tomorrow due to the increase in the intensity of a Pacific high pressure system, the CWA said.
Much of the country was under an “orange” heat alert yesterday as temperatures were forecast to reach a high of 38°C or 36°C for three days in a row.
Yunlin County was under the most severe “red” alert, with temperatures forecast to reach 38°C for at least three consecutive days.
As of 12:37pm yesterday, the highest temperatures recorded around Taiwan for the day were 37.5°C in Pingtung County’s Sandimen Township (三地門), 37.3°C in Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) and 37.2°C in Kaohsiung’s Cishan District (旗山).
The western half of Taiwan could experience highs of 36°C or higher, especially within the Greater Taipei basin area, without much relief in sight, the CWA said.
Even though the Pacific high pressure system could begin to weaken on Friday, it would only lower highs by 1°C, CWA senior weather specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said.
Taiwan could experience more high temperatures over sustained periods this summer because of climate change, especially in parts of Taiwan not exposed to ocean winds, she said.
From June 1 to Monday, at least 460 people sought medical attention due to the heat, Ministry of Health and Welfare data showed.
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