2024 sets new temperature record in Taiwan at 24.6°C: CWA

Taipei, July 28 (CNA) Taiwan's average temperature in 2024 reached 24.6 degrees Celsius, 0.7°C above the historical norm, making it the hottest year on record, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The CWA attributed the high temperature to global warming and the El Niño phenomenon.

According to the CWA's "Annual Climate Report 2024," all 22 major weather stations across Taiwan recorded temperatures above the 30-year climate average (based on 1991-2020).

Each station ranked among the top 10 hottest years ever recorded at its respective location. Notably, Hsinchu, Taichung, Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, Tainan, Chenggong and Taitung in Taitung County, as well as Dawu in Pingtung, set new all-time temperature records.

The number of hot days -- defined as days with highs over 35°C -- also surged. Taipei recorded 63 hot days, the most in the country and nearly 20 more than the 30-year average. Most other stations, except Pengjia Islet off northeastern Taiwan, Keelung, Hualien, and Hengchun, also recorded numbers close to or above the average.

The CWA noted that the number of hot days in Taiwan has steadily risen since the mid-1970s, while cold days -- defined as those with temperatures below 10°C in lowland areas -- have declined since the 1960s, highlighting a clear warming trend.

Although Taiwan's total annual rainfall in 2024 was close to the 30-year average, the island experienced only 127 rainy days -- one of the fewest on record, reflecting a long-term shift toward less frequent but more intense precipitation, according to the CWA.

Global warming and the El Niño phenomenon have intensified extreme weather, leading to more frequent and severe heatwaves, droughts, heavy rainfall and typhoons, according to the CWA.

Last winter was warmer and drier than usual due to weaker monsoons, while summer was dominated by strong subtropical high-pressure systems that brought widespread heat and dryness to East Asia.