MOENV to hold three-day 'anti-heat' drill on June 29

Taipei, June 23 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Environment (MOENV) said Tuesday that a cross-agency heat-response drill will take place on June 29, simulating the government's response in the event of temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius.

The MOENV conducted its first heat-response drill last year based on a temperature threshold of 38 degrees Celsius.

This year, the threshold will be raised to 40 degrees Celsius, Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明) said in a Facebook post earlier in the day.

• MOENV plans to hold 'anti-heat' drill amid rising extreme heat

In a press release, the ministry said the drill will simulate an extreme heat event in which temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius and persist for more than three consecutive days.

The exercise will incorporate multiple government agencies and simulate a range of impacts associated with prolonged heat waves, including surges in patients seeking medical treatment, power outages, traffic disruptions and overheated railway tracks, the MOENV said.

According to the ministry, the drill will assess interagency coordination mechanisms, clarify the division of responsibilities among participating agencies and strengthen preparedness and emergency response capabilities.

Separately, in July, the MOENV will select a city or county government to conduct the first cross-agency, central-local heat-response drill, in which local authorities will lead on-site, with central government agencies providing support.

The results and lessons learned from the drill will be incorporated into the high-temperature section of the fourth National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan, providing a framework for future government responses to extreme heat events, according to the MOENV.