Taipei Braces for Intense Heatwave: Orange Alert Issued for Greater Taipei

Temperatures in Taiwan's capital region expected to soar, with potential for 36°C highs.

A significant heat warning has been issued for the Greater Taipei area, with daytime temperatures anticipated to exceed 36 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. This surge in heat is attributed to a robust Pacific high-pressure system, as reported by the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Following a period of rain, the atmosphere is expected to be less humid, leading to cloudy to sunny conditions. The CWA has consequently implemented an "orange" heat advisory for Taipei and New Taipei, signifying daily high temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius or more for three consecutive days.

This heat advisory is scheduled to remain in effect through the late afternoon of Wednesday.

In other regions of Taiwan, daytime highs are projected to reach 33 degrees Celsius in central and southern areas. The eastern counties of Hualien and Taitung are expected to experience temperatures between 30 and 31 degrees Celsius, according to the CWA.

While the weather across Taiwan is generally stable, the CWA has indicated the possibility of isolated showers in coastal areas of central and southern Taiwan during the morning. Afternoon thunderstorms are also likely in the northern parts of the island.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) has noted, based on the latest European weather model, that the Pacific high-pressure system is expected to dominate Taiwan's weather patterns until Saturday. This system is predicted to drive daytime temperatures as high as 38 degrees Celsius.

Looking ahead, Wu suggests that a tropical disturbance is anticipated to traverse Luzon in the Philippines and then move towards the South China Sea in the coming week. This development could potentially increase the likelihood of rainfall for Taiwan.

In parallel, the Ministry of Environment has reported that air quality across most of Taiwan was fair to good on Wednesday.