WEATHER
Cold alerts issued
Snow fell on Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County on Friday night and early yesterday morning, accumulating to 2cm to 3cm, while the nation’s highest mountain, Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山), also saw snowfall accumulate to as thick as 3cm, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Highway Bureau’s Central Region Branch Office cautioned drivers heading up the mountains to be mindful of slippery roads and that parts of some paths are restricted to vehicles with snow chains. Yilan County’s Taipingshan (太平山) saw sleet early yesterday morning. After patrolling the area, the Yilan branch of the Forest and Nature Conservation Agency reported no icy roads and the area opened for visitors from 4am. The CWA yesterday issued an “orange” alert for northern Taiwan, which warn of sustained temperatures around or below 10°C, or dropping below 6°C. The agency also issued “yellow” alerts for Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi cities, as well as Hsinchu, Miaoli, Changhua, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi and Kinmen counties, warning of temperatures dropping below 10°C and significant day-night temperature differences.
Photo courtesy of Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area
WILDLIFE
Conservation succeeding
The Shei-pa National Park Administration yesterday published a census showing that while the multiple earthquakes and typhoons that struck Taiwan last year had affected the Oncorhynchus masou formosanus population, the impact was minimal. The endemic fish species’ population is 16,897, the second-highest in history, the census showed. The park administration said that it has collaborated with St. Stone Gold Co in an adoption drive for the fish species, marking the beginning of what could be an official template for public and private sector collaboration. The majority of the fish population was found in the Cijiawan (七家灣) and Hehuan River (合歡溪) areas, at 8,684 and 7,300 respectively, according to the census. The census was initiated not only to monitor the population of the fish, but also to gauge the efficacy of fish stocking, the park administration said. The park administration said it had released 1,000 fish fry of the Oncorhynchus masou formosanus into the llyung Sqeran (司界蘭溪) in an attempt to expand living habitats and better conserve the species.
DIPLOMACY
Donation pledged to Bucha
Taiwan has pledged to donate US$560,000 to the Ukrainian city of Bucha to help rebuild roads connecting the Kyiv Regional Center for Mental Health to surrounding areas. The agreement to donate the money was signed via a Webinar on Friday by Representative to Poland Jeff Liu (劉永健) and Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk. Liu emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to collaborating with democracies, saying that rebuilding the roads not only improves access to the health center, but also symbolizes a path to recovery for the war-torn country. Taiwan would continue providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine to demonstrate support and respect for its people, he said. Fedoruk expressed gratitude for Taiwan’s humanitarian assistance and said its swift support of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022 means a lot to his city. Located in Bucha, a city in Kyiv Oblast, the Kyiv Regional Center for Mental Health is the largest institution of its kind in Ukraine, Ukraine’s Renovation League said. The center provides inpatient and outpatient care for people with mental health issues and has served over 150,000 people since its founding in 1978.
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