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.
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