Four elementary schools in northern Taiwan are to take “low-temperature leave” today, namely Taipei Hutian Experimental Elementary School, Taipei Municipal Yangmingshan Elementary School, and Sanguang Elementary School and Gaoyi Elementary School in Taoyuan.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said that the effects of the approaching cold wave are expected to be at their strongest today through tomorrow, adding that in regions north of Tainan, as well as Yilan and Hualien, temperatures from 7 to 9 degrees are predicted.
The cold would persist into the early hours of Thursday, but would gradually taper throughout the day, with highs of no more than 20 degrees expected, it said.
Photo: EPA
The chance of snow is high in mountainous areas from about 1,000 to 1,500m in the north of the country and in Yilan, as well as in areas about 2,500m to 3,000m, it added.
An orange cold surge advisory of low temperatures below 6 degrees or sustained at below 10 degrees has been issued for parts of New Taipei City and Keelung, and a yellow warning has been issued for Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Yilan and outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang counties, meaning temperatures could be below 10 degrees, it said.
Foreign tourists who purchase a seven-day Taiwan Pass are to get a second one free of charge as part of a government bid to boost tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. A pair of Taiwan Passes is priced at NT$5,000 (US$156.44), an agency staff member said, adding that the passes can be used separately. The pass can be used in many of Taiwan’s major cities and to travel to several tourist resorts. It expires seven days after it is first used. The pass is a three-in-one package covering the high-speed rail system, mass rapid transport (MRT) services and the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle services,
Drinking a lot of water or milk would not help a person who has ingested terbufos, a toxic chemical that has been identified as the likely cause of three deaths, a health expert said yesterday. An 83-year-old woman surnamed Tseng (曾) and two others died this week after eating millet dumplings with snails that Tseng had made. Tseng died on Tuesday and others ate the leftovers when they went to her home to mourn her death that evening. Twelve people became ill after eating the dumplings following Tseng’s death. Their symptoms included vomiting and convulsions. Six were hospitalized, with two of them
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