The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a red alert on air quality on Friday morning for northern Taiwan, Yunlin, Chiayi, and Kaohsiung. Hsinchu, Miaoli, and central areas are currently at level orange, though conditions may reach red alert levels over the holiday weekend. Matsu and Kinmen islands are forecasted at orange, with Penghu at yellow, and Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung at green.
According to the CWA, the current wind field is easterly to southeasterly, putting some of the north and western areas of Taiwan in the leeward side of the country’s central mountain ridge. This creates poor horizontal and vertical diffusion of pollutants, allowing them to accumulate.
The Environment Ministry’s Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network details that the air quality index (AQI) of yellow may pose a risk for those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. At an AQI of orange, members of sensitive groups may experience health effects though the general public is less likely to be affected. At red, sensitive groups may experience more serious issues, with members of the general public at risk of health effects as well. Johns Hopkins Medicine advises that time outdoors be limited to 30 minutes or less and that windows be kept closed until air quality improves.