Spring rain brought by a cold front that arrived on Monday night, aided by cloud-seeding operations, could add more than 16.6 million tonnes of rainwater to the reservoirs in northern and central Taiwan, the Water Resources Agency said yesterday.
The front’s arrival prompted it to begin cloud-seeding operations at 9:40pm on Monday — over Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) in Taoyuan, Second Baoshan Reservoir (寶二水庫) in Hsinchu County, Yongheshan Reservoir (永和山水庫), Minde Reservoir (明德水庫) and Liyutan Reservoir (鯉魚潭水庫) in Miaoli County — and again at 1:40am yesterday, the agency said.
More cloud-seeding operations might be launched if the weather permits, it added.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
Although Taiwan is in its traditional dry season, an increase in demand for water for farm irrigation and disease prevention measures has exacerbated water shortages.
Between 8pm on Monday and 8am yesterday, reservoirs in the nation’s north and center collected 3.27 million tonnes of rainwater, the agency said.
The rain on Monday night was typical spring rain because it mainly fell on the northwest, as rain brought by the northeast monsoon mainly affects the northeast, Central Weather Bureau Deputy Director-General Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典) posted on Facebook.
The rain could expand to southern Taiwan, but with reduced intensity before more cold air arrives, he said.
Starting today, the nation would be under the influence of the northeast monsoon, the bureau said.
Temporary showers are forecast for the east coast as well as mountainous areas in the north, it said.
Tomorrow’s temperatures are to rebound as the northeast monsoon weakens and rain eases, the bureau said.
Cloudy skies are forecast for most of the nation, except for the east coast and mountainous areas in the north, where scattered showers are expected, it said.
Temperatures in the north and northeast of the nation are expected to drop again on Friday and Saturday with the rise of the northeast monsoon and rains from southern China, which would bring showers in the nation’s north and center, the east coast and mountainous areas in the south, it said.
The influence of the northeast monsoon would continue through Monday next week, although temporary showers are forecasted for the north as well as Hualien and Taitung counties, while the rest of the nation would see cloudy to sunny skies, the bureau said.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
RSS