Greater Taipei likely to see mercury soar over 37°C on Monday

Taipei, July 15 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a heat warning for large areas of Taiwan on Monday, with the Greater Taipei area forecast to see temperature highs of over 37 degrees Celsius.

The CWA issued a "red" alert for New Taipei, meaning daytime highs of 38 degrees for three consecutive days are expected.

An "orange" alert was issued for the cities and counties of Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Hualien, meaning daytime highs in those areas could reach 36°C for three consecutive days.

Keelung, as well as the counties of Hsinchu and Chiayi, received a "yellow" alert, indicating a single daytime high of up to 36 degrees.

The weather administration advised people to take precautionary measures to avoid sunburn and stay hydrated when outdoors.

Update: Sanxia District in New Taipei recorded 39.4 degrees at 4:10 p.m., the day's highest temperature in Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Administration.

Sporadic rain or thunderstorms are expected in parts of Taiwan's southeast and the Hengchun Peninsula, while cloudy to sunny skies are likely elsewhere, the CWA said, adding that afternoon showers are forecast in some mountainous areas.

Meanwhile, a tropical depression that has developed in the South China Sea is not expected to have a direct impact on Taiwan's weather, the CWA said.

According to Chia Hsin-hsing (賈新興), head of WeatherRisk Explore lnc., a private weather company, the depression has a 30-40 percent potential to become a tropical storm over the next few days.

It is forecast to move toward Macau and Hong Kong, Chia said on his Facebook page.