Mercury forecast to hit 37°C in Taoyuan; heat alert in effect

Taipei, Aug. 16 (CNA) The hot weather seen in northern Taiwan in recent days will continue Saturday due to an ongoing high-pressure system and strengthening easterly winds, with Taoyuan expected to post highs of 37 degrees Celsius.

The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said it issued an orange heat alert for Taoyuan on Saturday, indicating highs of 36 degrees for three straight days.

A "yellow" warning was also issued Saturday for Hsinchu City and Hsinchu and Miaoli counties in the north and Pingtung County in the south, meaning temperatures could reach or exceed 36 degrees, the CWA said.

The heat advisories were to remain in effect until late Saturday afternoon.

The CWA forecast daytime highs of 34-35 degrees in western Taiwan and 31-33 degrees in the east on Saturday.

As of 11:30 a.m., a temperature of 35.8 degrees had already been recorded in the Wugu area in New Taipei and one of 35.4 degrees was recorded in the Luzhu area in Taoyuan.

The highest temperature recorded in Taipei on Saturday as of 11:30 a.m. was 34.8 degrees in Neihu.

The CWA urged the public to take precautions against sun exposure when going outside as ultraviolet (UV) levels were expected to reach dangerous levels.

While sunny and partly cloudy skies were expected to continue around Taiwan, sporadic showers were possible in Keelung City and the northern coastal area, Yilan and Taitung counties in the east and the Hengchun Peninsula in the south on Saturday, the CWA said.

Afternoon thundershowers were also likely in mountainous areas around Taiwan, the CWA said.

The CWA said the heat is expected to continue Sunday before thicker cloud cover sends temperatures slightly lower Monday, when they will range between 32 and 35 degrees around Taiwan.

Citing the latest data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said a tropical disturbance is likely to emerge southeast of Taiwan and another could form in the South China Sea in the coming days.

More time is needed, however, to see whether the two tropical disturbances will strengthen into typhoons and whether they will affect Taiwan, Wu said.

Meanwhile, the air quality across most of Taiwan was fair to good on Saturday, the Ministry of Environment said.