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| Situation Update No. 1 Ref.no.: ST-20100322-25400-TWN
Situation Update No. 1
On 2010-03-23 at 04:23:49 [UTC]
Event: Extreme Weather
Location: Taiwan Statewide Situation: The worst-ever sandstorms in Taiwan's history moved southwards yesterday, obscuring the southern skies and causing severe air pollution in southern cities, after blanketing northern Taiwan on Sunday. As a result of the strong sand-laden winds, the concentrations of particulates at 10 southern monitoring stations reached more than 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As the dust storms continued to affect some of China's provinces, another wave of sandstorms may hit the island tomorrow, when a cold front arrives in the evening, added the EPA. Kaohsiung has been affected by the dust storms since Sunday night, with a record high level of a concentration particulate of 1,156 micrograms per cubic meter occurring between 12 a.m. and 2 a.m. yesterday. The air quality remained at a poor level yesterday morning, with a concentration particulate of over 1,000 in Nanzih and over 700 in Siaogang, 10 times of the normal level, and the visibility was also seriously affected, local media reported. To help improve poor air quality, both Kaohsiung and Taichung City Government dispatched several trucks to spread water along the streets to avoid dusts floating in the air. The Kaohsiung City Government and Pingtung County Government also asked factories producing highly-polluted exhausts to take action by reducing their pollutants to avoid worsening the poor air quality. The dust storms also delayed the rescue operation in Changhua County, in which a man was reported to be swept away by the tides at a beach. According to the local reporters, the rescuers flew a helicopter to the scene, trying to locate the man, but they failed to spot the man in the sea after a two-hour search because of the low visibility. It was not until later when the man's dead body was discovered by the ground rescue staff. Concentrations of particulates in the air reached more than 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter yesterday noontime at 39 monitoring stations nationwide. EPA said no harmful substances were found in the sandstorms and most of the sands were coarse particles. The air quality gradually climbed back to normal in the afternoon, while the impact of the sandstorms may last until today in the south. Residents are thus advised to take precautions, such as wearing a mask and putting on long-sleeve shirts. |  | | | |
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