This year was the hottest since recordkeeping began in Taiwan in 1897, with the average temperature reaching 24.97°C, the Central Weather Administration said today.
Many weather stations recorded record highs this year, Weather Forecast Center Director Chen Yi-liang (陳怡良) told a news conference on the year’s weather trends.
Under the effects of climate change, the global average temperature was 1.28°C higher than the 100-year average and reached a 145-year high, Chen said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Taiwan’s average annual temperature of 24.97°C as of Sunday was 1.66°C higher than the 100-year average, he said.
The previous record high was 24.91°C set in 2020, he said.
April was the hottest month compared with previous records, with eight weather stations around the nation recording record highs that month, Chen added.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration
Only this month was colder than average, by 0.5°C, he said.
Rainfall amounts this year were about average, although the distribution was uneven, Chen said.
Spring and plum rains were particularly light this year, while the summer and autumn saw more rain than usual due to typhoons and the effect of low-pressure systems, he said.
The northern coast, mountainous areas in Taipei, and the central and southern regions saw more rain than usual, while other areas saw less, he said.
A total of 26 typhoons formed in the northwest Pacific this year, about on par with the 25.4 average, Chen said.
Four typhoon warnings were issued, three of which included land warnings, he said.
The autumn saw 15 typhoons, the third-most since recordkeeping began following 1964 (19 storms), 2013 (16 storms) and 2019 (16 storms), and higher than then average of 10.8, he added.
Looking ahead to new year, Chen said that from next month to March, the agency is forecasting close-to-average temperatures and normal-to-slightly-low rainfall, particularly in the central and southern regions, which are set to experience a dry season over the winter.
Additional reporting by CNA
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