37 degree heat expected Wednesday in northern Taiwan: Weather agency

Taipei, July 1 (CNA) Temperatures in parts of northern Taiwan, including Taipei, are expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, with much of the island also experiencing intense heat, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Highs of around 36 degrees are likely elsewhere across Taiwan, including in central and southern regions, the CWA said.

Due to this forecast, the CWA on Tuesday issued high temperature alerts for 13 cities and counties.

Orange alerts, which indicate a likelihood of consecutive days above 36 degrees, were issued for Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Changhua County, Yunlin County, Chiayi County, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung County and Hualien County.

Yellow alerts were issued for Hsinchu County, Miaoli County and Kinmen County, signaling the possibility of temperatures exceeding 36 degrees.

Forecaster Chang Cheng-chuan (張承傳) told CNA that a strong Pacific high-pressure system will remain in place through July 4, bringing widespread hot and sunny conditions.

The high-pressure system is expected to weaken on July 5, he said.

Daytime temperatures will dip slightly starting over the weekend, but conditions will remain hot, he added.

Chang said the agency is also monitoring two developing tropical systems.

The system closer to Taiwan, located east of the Philippines, may intensify into a tropical depression as early as July 2-3, with a chance of becoming a typhoon over the weekend, he said.

Forecast models vary widely, Chang said, with one showing a path approaching Taiwan, another indicating continued northeastward movement, while yet another suggests the system may instead pass over the Philippines into the South China Sea.

The second system, farther away near Guam, also has the potential to develop into a typhoon, but is projected to head toward waters south of Japan and is not expected to directly affect Taiwan, Chang said.