Greater Taipei faces 36°C-plus highs as Taiwan swelters

Taipei, Aug. 22 (CNA) Taiwan will experience clear skies and more hot weather Friday due to a persistent Pacific high-pressure system, with temperatures to exceed 36 degree Celsius in the Greater Taipei basin, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) has forecast.

The agency issued heat advisories for several parts of Taiwan, warning of scorching daytime temperatures.

Taipei was given a red alert, indicating the possibility of consecutive days of highs of 38 degrees Celsius.

New Taipei was under an orange alert, signaling that temperatures could reach 36 degrees on consecutive days, while Tainan was under a yellow alert, showing it had a chance of hitting 36 degrees on Friday.

According to CWA data, highs could generally reach 34 to 35 degrees in western Taiwan and 31 to 33 degrees in eastern Taiwan on Friday.

The weather agency warned that UV levels around midday could reach dangerous levels.

Though sunny weather was forecast for most of Taiwan, the CWA said mountainous areas around the island could see brief, scattered thunderstorms and advised those going into the mountains to be mindful of sudden weather changes.

Over the weekend, most areas across Taiwan will continue to see clear skies, except for Taitung County where it will mostly be cloudy with occasional showers, the CWA forecast.

Daytime highs will reach 26-36 degrees in areas north of Taichung, 25-35 degrees in central Taiwan, 25-36 in southern Taiwan, and 25-33 degrees in the east, the CWA projected.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lingling, the 12th Pacific storm of the year, was located 1,220 kilometers northeast of Taipei as of 2 a.m. Friday, but the CWA said it would soon weaken into a tropical depression and would not directly affect Taiwan's weather.

Citing the latest European model simulations, independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) projected that most areas across Taiwan will see partly cloudy skies and hot temperatures from next Monday to Thursday.

Moisture from the south will slightly increase, bringing occasional brief showers to Hualien, Taitung and Pingtung counties, he said, and the unstable atmosphere could also contribute to localized afternoon showers or thunderstorms in mountainous areas.