Low precipitation this summer brings down water levels at reservoirs

2022-08-25

This summer was an especially hot one with little rainfall. Taiwan recorded an average of just 28.2 millimeters of rain in all of July, the lowest amount in 12 years. Reservoirs are running low, and, with high electricity consumption due to the heat, concerns are rising on how long the situation can hold on.

The sun scorches down. This year, summery clothes barely provide a shield from the heat. A strong North Pacific High and a lack of typhoons have resulted in little rainfall in Taiwan this summer. In July, Taiwan saw an average of just 28.2 millimeters of precipitation, about a third of last year. Reservoirs in the country are running low: Keelung’s Xinshan Reservoir and Nantou’s Wushe Dam are currently both at around 40% capacity.

Wang I-feng
Water Resources Agency
Over July the Keelung region only had 31 millimeters of precipitation, in August there’s only been 52 millimeters so far. Such level of rainfall is only over 20% of years past. The Xizhi area has two water sources: one from Xinshan Reservoir and another from Feitsui Reservoir. We’re currently working on increasing the amount of water directed at the Xizhi area to take water supply pressure off Xinshan Reservoir.

Electricity consumption has also increased as a result of high temperatures. At 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, electricity consumption soared to 39.795 million kilowatts, the second-highest peak recorded this month. The operating reserve fell to 5.01%.

Voice of Wu chin-chung
Taipower spokesperson
Yesterday the solar panels in Southern Taiwan were affected by the weather, but the situation had improved today, so there’s more electricity generated by solar PVs. The highs have slightly dipped by around 1 degree Celsius, so the overall energy supply shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Liu Pei-teng
CWB forecaster
From the evening of Aug. 27 to Aug. 28, there will be a soft northerly wind. So Northern Taiwan and the Yilan region will see scattered showers between the evening of Aug. 27 and Aug. 28. Other regions will more or less experience afternoon thundershowers. By Sunday there will be more moisture.

The Central Weather Bureau says a front could approach Taiwan next Thursday, bringing down temperatures across the island.

水情拉警報! 全台7月降雨量創12年來次低

2022-08-25

太平洋高壓增強、颱風不來，7月降雨僅28.2毫米，創12年來次低，水庫蓄水量持續降低！水利署表示，7、8月基隆降雨僅往年兩成，目前新山水庫蓄水率掉到剩4成，僅能供應一到兩個月，短時間內，新北市汐止供水先由翡翠水庫提供，降低新山水庫壓力。

太陽高照，就算穿短褲短袖還是滿頭汗，太平洋高壓持續增強，颱風又不來，今年暑假全台降雨量低，7月降雨量僅28.2毫米，只有去年的三分之一，國內水情拉警報，其中基隆新山水庫及南投霧社水庫蓄水率都只剩4成左右。

[[水利署副署長王藝峰]]
“基隆地區7月只降31毫米雨量，8月只降下53毫米雨量，這樣的水量相較歷年只有兩成多，汐止地區是雙水源地區，一個來自新山水庫一個來自翡翠水庫，我們正在加強翡翠支援汐止地區力道，來減輕新山水庫的供水壓力”

天氣熱不僅水情緊張，用電也居高不下，週三下午1點半，全國尖峰負載3979.5萬瓩，創歷年8月用電第二高，備轉容量率掉到5.01%。

[[聲源:台電發言人吳進忠]]
“昨天南部太陽光電有受天候影響，但今天影響已經改善了，所以太陽光電發電比昨天好，高溫有稍微下降一度左右，所以整體供電應該不會有太大問題”

[[氣象局預報員劉沛滕]]
“27號晚上到28號，有一股弱弱的北風下來，因此北部、宜蘭地區，在27號週六晚上到週日，會有一些零星降雨出現，其他地區大致是午後雷陣雨，到了週日水氣稍微增多一些”

氣象局預估，初秋的首波鋒面將在下周四接近台灣，雖然微弱，但各地氣溫會變得涼爽。