Taiwan records dullest May skies this year

Taipei, June 28 (CNA) Taiwan's weather was unusual in May this year, as the average daily hours of sunshine were at a record low, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said Tuesday.

Typically, Taiwan experiences an average 4.8 hours of sunshine per day in the month of May, but this year it was almost half of that number, at a record 2.5 hours, Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣), head of CWB's Weather Forecast Center, said at a news conference.

In total, there was sunshine for only 78.5 hours in Taiwan in May this year, compared to the average 148.8 hours for that month, Lu said.

Not only were the skies over Taiwan duller this May, but the weather was also cooler and wetter than usual for that month, he said in a review of the country's weather for the first half of the year.

The average temperature in Taiwan was 26.2 degrees Celsius in May, the lowest recorded since 2000 and the fifth-lowest of all time, he said, adding that last year it averaged 28.1 degrees for the same month.

In terms of precipitation, it rained on 18.6 days in May, and the total rainfall was 347.9 millimeters, which were the fourth and sixth highest numbers, respectively, on record for that month, Lu said.

However, temperatures and precipitation levels have returned to normal in June, he said, forecasting that three or four typhoons will make landfall in Taiwan in the second half of the year.