TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象局), the island's national meteorological agency, issued a heat alert Wednesday (June 18) for southern regions including Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County, warning temperatures could soar beyond 36 degrees Celsius (96.8°F) by midday. Meteorologist Wu Der-romg (吳德榮) cautioned residents that the sweltering conditions would persist through the week, with only minimal relief possible from scattered afternoon thunderstorms in certain areas.
In his analysis for the Meteorological Application and Development Foundation (氣象應用推廣基金會), a Taiwanese weather research organization, Wu reported that advanced European forecasting models show no indication that the seasonal "Plum rain (梅雨) front" — a crucial weather pattern that typically brings substantial rainfall to Taiwan during late spring — will move southward within the next 10 days. The meteorologist further assessed that tropical weather systems appear unlikely to develop in the region, with probabilities below 20% for tropical depressions forming either over the South China Sea or east of Japan's Ryukyu Islands.
The probability of tropical storm formation remains remarkably low at under 10%, Wu emphasized, adding that even in the unlikely event a storm develops, current trajectories suggest minimal impact on Taiwan. Looking ahead to the period from June 20 to 27, residents across the island should prepare for consistently hot conditions with predominantly clear to partly cloudy skies. While the lowlands will experience little precipitation, Taiwan's mountainous regions may see brief but intense afternoon downpours or thunderstorms, which could occasionally extend to adjacent lower elevations. ◼