TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象署) revised its earthquake assessment on Friday (Aug. 16) afternoon as an aftershock of the April 3 Hualien (花蓮) earthquake.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien at 7:35 a.m. earlier that day, shaking residents awake and triggering a national alert. The CWA initially did not classify it as an aftershock of the Hualien quake.
To ensure public safety, the weather administration issued the warning using data from a limited number of seismic stations. Upon further analysis, it adjusted the earthquake's depth from 9.7 kilometers to 19.36 kilometers and slightly modified its location to 23.78 degrees north latitude and 121.71 degrees east longitude.
Officials explained that the updated parameters led to the reclassification of the morning quake as an aftershock of the April 3 Hualien earthquake. They will update the seismic data on their official website accordingly.
Residents of Hualien and surrounding areas are urged to stay informed and prepared for potential aftershocks. The CWA continues to monitor seismic activity closely to provide timely updates.