Scorching heat continues in Greater Taipei, 38°C highs expected

Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) Scorching heat is expected to continue to grill the Greater Taipei area on Sunday, with daytime temperatures forecast to hit 38 degrees Celsius, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The CWA said it issued an "orange" heat advisory, indicating a high of 38 degrees for one day or 36 degrees for three straight days, for Taipei and New Taipei cities, warning of extremely high temperatures in the area.

An orange heat alert was also in effect in Hsinchu County in the north, Taichung City and Changhua and Nantou counties in central Taiwan, and Yunlin, Chiayi and Pingtung counties and Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung cities in the south, the CWA said.

The CWA issued a yellow heat warning for Taoyuan City in the north, indicating daytime temperatures will hit as high as 36 degrees.

Elsewhere in western Taiwan, daytime highs could range between 35-37 degrees Sunday, while highs of 32-33 degrees are forecast for the east, according to the CWA.

The CWA urged people going outdoors to take precautions against sun exposure as ultraviolet (UV) levels are expected to reach dangerous levels, in particular around noon.

Despite the stable weather conditions Sunday, the CWA said, afternoon thundershowers are possible in Taoyuan and south of the city as well as mountainous areas around Taiwan.

In the coming week, the CWA said a mass low pressure system south of Taiwan is expected to bring moisture and destabilize weather conditions, with afternoon showers and even thundershowers possible.

Temperatures are expected to remain high, however, and are expected to hit as high as 37 degrees in the north, 35 degrees in central and southern Taiwan, and 33 degrees in the east during the coming week and into the weekend, the CWA said.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) agreed that the very hot weather would continue at least into Thursday, citing the latest European weather model forecast.

At the same time, Wu said Tropical Storm Kajiki, which has been upgraded to a typhoon Sunday, was expected to make landfall in Vietnam on Monday with little direct impact on Taiwan.

Wu also noted that a separate tropical disturbance has formed east of the Philippines and could strengthen into a tropical storm, and he said its movements were worth watching.

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

But parts of the west were under an "orange" alert, warning of unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or heart problems, the ministry said.