Heat alerts issued for northern Taiwan, 37°C possible Tuesday

Taipei, July 1 (CNA) Temperatures in Taiwan are expected to stay high Tuesday under the influence of a persistent Pacific high pressure system, and the Central Weather Administration (CWA) has issued heat advisories for part of the country.

The CWA said an "orange" heat alert has taken effect in New Taipei City in the north and Changhua County in central Taiwan, indicating daily maximum temperatures hitting 36 degrees for three consecutive days.

In addition, the CWA said, a "yellow" heat advisory has taken effect in Taoyuan City in the north, Taichung City and Nantou County in central Taiwan, Yunlin, Chiayi, and Pingtung counties, and Chiayi, Tainan, and Kaohsiung cities in the south, and Hualien County in the east.

A yellow heat alert means daily maximum temperatures in these areas could reach or exceed 36 degrees.

These heat alerts will stay in effect into Tuesday afternoon, the CWA said, and it urged people to take precautions against sun exposure when going outside as ultraviolet (UV) levels are expected to be strong.

The CWA said some areas in northern Taiwan could see the day's highs hit 37 degrees, while highs of 32-35 degrees are possible around most of Taiwan.

As of 10:06 a.m., the highest temperature recorded around Taiwan on Tuesday was 36.7 degrees, in Shezi in Taipei City and Wugu in New Taipei City, according to CWA data.

Although cloudy to sunny skies are expected Tuesday, the CWA said sporadic showers or thundershowers are possible in southeastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula, and afternoon showers are forecast around the Hsinchu area and mountainous regions around Taiwan.

The CWA has issued a heavy rain advisory for Pingtung, indicating 24-hour accumulated rainfall of more than 80 millimeters or 1-hour of rainfall exceeding 40 mm, and said the warning will stay in effect until late Tuesday morning.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said the warm and generally stable weather could last from Wednesday through next Monday, although temperature highs are likely to fall slightly.

Brief showers and thundershowers in the mountainous areas are expected during the six-day period, Wu said.

Citing European and U.S. weather models, Wu said a tropical disturbance located between Guam and the Philippines and another located east of the Philippines could develop into two tropical storms later this week, but he said their paths remain uncertain.