Taiwan Weather 2020

Hot March going on in Taiwan. This week Taipei is on track for an accumulated +43 C above ave for the top temp (normally 22.1) across the seven day forecast. Have noticed previously that temps were up but this is a new level.

According to CWB it hit 40C in Nantou yesterday. I don't quite understand how they calculate 'wet-bulb temp' but know it's a combination of heat and humidity - that must have been through the roof in Taiwan yesterday.

There was a meiyu type downpour in Taiwan yesterday with more rain forecast for the next two days but then it's predicted to heat up again with mid-thirties in Taipei. May can throw up some of the hottest temps of the year so be interesting to see where it goes this year.

A tropical depression has formed east of PPE - it's called TP01. Seems late in the year for the first TP anywhere in the theatre but since the Australian fires season it has been quiet on the global weather front for several months. Calm before the storm?

A note on wet-bulb temps:

Wet-bulb temp is what the temp would be if the thermometer bulb was covered in a wet cloth. In low humidity, water would evaporate from the cloth making the reading cooler. In high humidity less water evaporates meaning the the thermometer reading would stay closer to that of the naked bulb. If there was 100% humidity no water would evaporate from the cloth meaning the reading on the wet-bulb thermometer would be the same as a naked bulb.

"The highest values in the world are about 30-31C, during the worst heat/humidity events in India, the Amazon, and a few other very humid places."

A WBT of 35C would be fatal to most humans exposed to it. We haven't reached that level yet so far as i'm aware.

Vong Fong was it's name ...

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This looks like the first serious meiyu front for the season - the first cut is often the deepest in terms of flash flooding so see how it goes...

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If it follows the blue path then there's going to be some rain in Taitung. It's an outlier but appears to have it stalling right on the coast.

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Taipei is in the midst of a heatwave - which sounds silly coz Taiwan summer is one long heatwave - but even by those standards.
The 7 day forecast is predicting 6 x 36C days and one 35. The average high for June is 32.
The minimum is 27C every day while the ave min is meant to be 24.6
https://www.cwb.gov.tw/V8/E/W/County/County.html?CID=63

38.2 in Taipei today. That's 6.2C above ave. Been waiting for Taipei to crack 40 (the apparent temp is 40+ every day this week) - this could be the year.

Not sure if they have records for 'apparent temp' but CWB is predicting 44C for Taipei today!

Interestingly, Florida, which is similar to Taiwan climatically, is also experiencing extra-oppressive conditions this summer. Tampa had a top of 99F (equal record) yesterday with apparent temps around 110F.

38.9 C in Taipei city today - hottest place in Taiwan. This must be the hottest June ever for Taipei - seems 4C or more above ave every day. Also exceeding the predicted temp by a degree or two most days.

TT report says heat injuries increased by 40% in June compared to last year. Doesn't surprise me at all. We may be approaching a time where outside work in hot countries is deemed unsafe during summer months.

Meanwhile, Japan is experiencing extreme weather in the form of rain.

"Twenty-five people have already been confirmed dead and 17 others are feared dead, while 11 people remain unaccounted for after torrential rain struck the area early Saturday, according to local authorities." https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/07/06/national/japan-floods-kumamoto/

It will be interesting to see how this summer unfolds in the northern hemisphere.

Was that Japan rain a meiyu storm or something else?

It was the meiyu. We have had a lot of rain.

39.5 in Nantou today - the hottest ever in Taiwan is 40.2 in Taitung City supposedly in May 2004.

Been a year of records with the hottest June day in Taipei at 38.9C and Taichung recording hottest May day.

I think we've got a new record hottest day for Taiwan! Taimali recorded 40.5 today - so far as i can tell the old record was 40.2 in Nantou.

Typhoon activity is below average so far in this season of record temps in Taiwan. It's not that unusual to go through June-July without a typhoon impacting Taiwan or Japan - there's still Aug-Sep - and just takes one big one to make it a memorable year.

39.7C for Taipei today - that beats the previous record of 39.3 set on Aug 8, 2013.

Where have all the typhoons gone? Last year was quiet and this year seems to be heading the same way. Some minor storms passing to the south of Taiwan which are kicking up reasonable rain so no drama with water supply but the rise of the mega-storm appears to have stalled for a couple of years at least.

No surprise here - Taiwan has recorded its hottest summer ever with an ave temp of 29.54C. It beat records set last year (29.41) as well as previous records set in 2014, 2016, and 2017.

Just in case anyone still needs proof of climate change, that means the top 5 hottest summers ever in Taiwan have all occurred in the last 7 years.

2020 also included new record highs for Taiwan of 40.2 C (Dawu, Taitung), and a new record for Taipei, 39.7C.

39.4C in Dong He, Taitung today. Wouldn't have thought that possible given the humidity and that it's on the coast. Must be a record.

It'd be hot in little Formosa Hut this summer as Dong He has got some serious global warming shit happening. It's late Sep and still 37.9 yesterday (top for the island) and 35.5 today (no. 3) - seems top 5 most days. Wonder if there's a new measuring station there - CWB usually says 32-34 max for Taitung city during summer - is it that much hotter in Dong He just to the north? The other hotspot is often Da Wu, just south of Taitung city.

While the States have been smashed by hurricanes, there hasn't been a single typhoon hit Taiwan this year. That's the first time that's happened since 1964.

In a high density population, Taiwan relies on high rainfall to maintain water supplies - typhoons form a key part of that.

Part of the problem is that the reservoirs are not big enough - between typhoons and the monsoon rains they haven't needed to be - usually. I do remember about 20 years ago there were severe water restrictions in Taipei - it looks like that might be in play again this year.

According to this report:

"Water levels at many reservoirs are worryingly low, with the Mingde Reservoir (明德) in Miaoli County at only 20 percent capacity."

I wonder what the back up plan is if the reservoirs run dry?

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Taiwan Weather 2020 (Weather)