Heavy traffic expected in parts of Taiwan on 2nd day of long weekend

Taipei, Sept. 26 (CNA) Several sections of Taiwan's national freeways and provincial highways are expected to be congested Saturday, the second day of a four-day holiday weekend, according to the highway and freeway bureaus.

In a press release, the Highway Bureau said heavy traffic was expected on several routes because of increased travel during the holiday weekend.

Congestion was forecast near the Tucheng Interchange, which connects Provincial Highway 65 with National Freeway No. 3, and the Zhonghe Interchange, linking Provincial Highway 64 with National Freeway No. 3.

Other potentially congested sections include Provincial Highway 61 between Fengbi and Xiangshan in Hsinchu County and between Zhunan and Xuanbao Bridge in Miaoli County.

The Highway Bureau also warned of congestion on highways near popular tourist destinations, such as Tamsui in northern Taiwan and Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County.

Meanwhile, the Freeway Bureau said several southbound sections of national freeways in western Taiwan were expected to experience congestion Saturday morning because of the extended weekend.

It recommended that motorists planning southbound trips in western Taiwan consider departing in the afternoon.

The bureau also said northbound National Freeway No. 5 between Yilan County and New Taipei's Pinglin District could become congested between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Taiwan is in the middle of a four-day weekend, with the Mid-Autumn Festival falling on Friday and Teachers' Day on Monday.

Generally favorable weather forecast by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was also likely to encourage people to spend time together outdoors during the holidays.

According to the CWA, cloudy to sunny weather is expected across Taiwan through Tuesday.

Mostly sunny skies and high temperatures were forecast Saturday, prompting the CWA to issue yellow heat alerts for parts of Nantou and Pingtung counties, indicating temperatures could reach 36 degrees Celsius around noon.

A higher-level orange heat alert was issued for Tainan's Yujing District, indicating temperatures could reach 38 degrees or remain at or above 36 degrees for three consecutive days.

CWA forecaster Cheng Chieh-jen (鄭傑仁) told CNA Saturday that highs across Taiwan would range from 31 degrees to 34 degrees.

Cheng said stable weather through Tuesday would bring only sporadic afternoon showers, mainly in mountainous areas.

Rain is expected to become more widespread in eastern Taiwan and windward areas from Taoyuan northward after northeasterly winds arrive Thursday, he said.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Surigae, located about 640 kilometers east of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost tip, as of 8 a.m. Saturday, could strengthen into a typhoon later Saturday or Sunday, Cheng said.

The storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 108 kilometers per hour near its center and a radius of 150 km, is expected to pass through waters south of Japan's Okinawa Prefecture over the next two to three days, he said.

Cheng said the storm is expected to turn northeast without making landfall in Japan and should have little impact on Taiwan apart from bringing swells to waters off eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula over the weekend.