MOENV conducts 40°C heatwave exercise

Taipei, June 29 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Environment (MOENV) on Monday held a cross-agency tabletop exercise simulating an extreme heat scenario of 40 degrees Celsius, focusing on compound disaster impacts and support measures for vulnerable groups.

According to the ministry, the exercise involved 34 central and local agencies and simulated three consecutive days of 40-degree-Celsius heat -- the first based on that threshold -- in Taipei's Neihu District, New Taipei's Wugu District, and Taoyuan's Luzhu District.

The MOENV outlined a three-stage scenario, starting with substation failures, localized power outages and heat-related medical emergencies among vulnerable groups.

It then escalated to railway speed restrictions due to overheated tracks and rising heat illness cases among outdoor workers and chronic patients, while the final stage focused on response efforts, including garbage fires and road surface deformation.

Deputy Minister Hsieh Yein-rui (謝燕儒) said although heat is not classified as a disaster under the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act, it can develop into systemic risks when combined with heavy electricity demand, infrastructure strain and vulnerable populations.

Hsieh also said the exercise was conducted with local governments in northern Taiwan, noting that regional risks differ.

After the exercise, the ministry will hold a review meeting and incorporate lessons into future interagency response planning, he added.

The ministry will also compile and publish relevant information online to help the public understand response measures, from agencies such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Labor, following Central Weather Administration (CWA) heat alerts, and is considering using messaging platforms such as LINE for future heat-risk alerts, according to Hsieh.

The ministry also operates a "cool map" listing more than 9,000 cooling sites nationwide, including air-conditioned rest areas and drinking water stations, Hsieh said.

Asked about the possibility of a "heat day off," Hsieh said the issue remains under review across ministries, including education and labor, noting that the impacts of heat vary by workplace. He said the current focus is on preparedness rather than shutdown policies.

Separately, CWA official Lin Ping-yu (林秉煜) said the agency is considering township-level cell broadcast warnings for areas at high risk of extreme heat.