50 Weather Stations Issue Orange Alert Over Taiwan as Winds Usher In Air Pollution From China

On February 20, more than 50 weather stations in Taiwan flashed an orange alert indicating poor air quality for vulnerable groups due to northeasterly winds bringing in significant air pollution from China.

Air Pollution from China

Director-General of the Central Weather Bureau (CWB), Cheng Ming-dean, issued a Facebook warning on Sunday night, February 19, about a serious incident encompassing air pollution that coursed through Taiwan from China. Cheng shared a picture of the air quality from nine stations flashing a red alert, which denotes air that is unsafe for the general public. Six of these stations are in Greater Taipei, two are in Taoyuan City, and one is in Kinmen County. The picture was taken from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) air monitoring website.

At 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, Cheng declared that "dirty air has arrived" and that the rains had not been sufficient to disperse the pollutants coming from China. He warned people not to go outside and expose themselves, telling them that there is currently a serious wave of air pollution coming from abroad.

Orange Alert from 50 Weather Stations

On Monday at 7:39 AM, Cheng published an update on his Facebook page advising everyone to limit outdoor activities because of red alerts in the Daliao, Qianjin, and Fengshan districts of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, and Kinmen County. Additionally, due to orange alerts issued in those areas, he urged people in Yilan County, western Taiwan, and Penghu County to cut back on physically demanding outdoor activities.

According to the Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network, 50 weather stations in Taiwan were flashing an orange alert as of 8 AM on Monday, including those in New Taipei City, Chaiyi County, Changhua County, Yunlin County, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City. A red alert was also flashed by six weather stations in Kinmen County, Pingtung County, and Kaohsiung City.

Heavy Winds, Heavy Pollutants

The northeasterly winds coupled with continental cold air mass, according to the EPA, will continue to have an impact on the environment. It's anticipated that the northeasterly winds will continue to bring in Chinese air pollution.

The conditions in central Taiwan and the northern regions are thought to be sufficient during the day to diffuse the pollutants gradually. However, diffusion conditions are expected to be poor from Yunlin County to Chiayi County, in addition to areas in the south, and pollutants are expected to accumulate.

Strong winds will blow along the coast from Changhua County to Yunlin and Chiayi, causing ground dust to mix with the pollution and lower visibility as well as the quality of the air. The EPA predicts that the air quality in areas of eastern Taiwan will be "good," while it will be "moderate" in northern Taiwan, Lienchiang County, Yilan County, and Penghu, although there may be orange alerts in some areas of Hsinchu County and Miaoli County.

Multiple orange alerts and several red alerts are likely to be issued during the day in Central Taiwan, Chiay, Yunliin, and Kinmen, while red alerts are more likely to be issued in Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

Forecast for the Coming Days

The northeast monsoon combined with the continental cold air mass will continue to deliver polluted air on Tuesday, February 21, according to the EPA. Pollutant accumulations are expected to persist in the country's central and southern regions, with visibility still being compromised from Changhua to Chiayi.

The winds are predicted to change from northeast to east-northeast from February 22 to 25, improving conditions for pollution diffusion nationwide and improving air quality, Taiwan News reports.