The Central Weather Bureau has issued heat warnings covering much of Taiwan. That’s as high pressure over the Pacific and the subsiding of southwesterly winds send temperatures up well into the 30s Celsius.
The highest temperatures were recorded in Hualien County on the east coast, in particular in its Eastern Rift Valley. There, in the Fuyuan National Forest Recreation Area, the mercury hit 38.6C at noon Thursday. This was the third day in a row in which temperatures around Hualien broke 38C, prompting the Central Weather Bureau to issue its highest-level heat warning for the county.
Meanwhile, the bureau issued Taipei with its second-highest heat warning as the temperature broke 36C for a third consecutive day.
The bureau is urging people in these and other areas under a heat advisory to avoid unnecessary outdoor activity. It also asks those who must go outdoors to drink plenty of fluid and protect themselves from the sun.