Rainy weather to arrive in Taiwan for 228 long weekend

Rainy weather to arrive in Taiwan for 228 long weekend

2026-02-24

As we approach the tail-end of February, the first signs of spring are manifesting once again. The current wave of pleasant weather is set to come to an end on Wednesday. The arrival of northeasterly winds and a front will bring temperatures down in the north and east of the island. And unfortunately, this Peace Memorial Day long weekend is set to be a rainy one, due to the influence from the northeasterly winds and a cloud system from Southern China. So if you’re heading out, make sure to bring an umbrella with you. Let’s hear from the Central Weather Administration.

Yeh Chih-chun
Weather forecaster
Starting from tomorrow during the daytime, northeasterly winds will gain strength, so there will be downpours in windward areas in the northern half of the island, the east coast and the Hengchun Peninsula. By Thursday, another front will gradually approach. In the first half of the day, the weather will be quite pleasant, but after midday, the rains will gradually pick up in Taoyuan and areas north of Taoyuan, in the East coast, in the Hengchun Peninsula and even in mountainous areas in Central and Northern Taiwan. That will also be the case for the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu. Starting Friday, a second front will sweep over the island and it will bring along sparse showers in Central, Northern and Eastern Taiwan, the outlying islands and even Southern Taiwan.

The rainy weather is set to intensify until the weekend. But despite that, forecasters say it’s unlikely to resolve the low water levels at reservoirs in Central and Southern Taiwan. And that could be because this winter so far is the fifth driest since 1951. Forecasters say that March and April are also expected to be drier than usual. So, remember to save water where possible.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#weather #taiwan #rain #winter #spring

明起三波鋒面接力! 全台轉濕涼 228連假全台有雨

2026-02-24

春季型天氣要來了，好天氣維持到明天，週三起東北季風、鋒面接力影響台灣，北部、東部地區稍微轉涼，即將迎來228連假，受東北季風與華南雲系雙重影響，全台降雨機率提升，提醒民眾出門得留意天氣變化。

[[氣象署預報員葉致均]]
“明天白天開始的話，主要就是這個東北季風增強的一個影響之下，所以是像是在迎風面的台灣以北，跟東半部地區到恆春半島的話，可能都還是會有些降雨的情形，那到禮拜四的時候，隨著另外一波鋒面開始逐漸接近一個狀況之下，上半天的時候，可能天氣上還是會比較不錯，不過到了下半天開始的話，在桃園以北跟東半部地區的，恆春半島甚至到中部以北的山區，以及外島的金門跟馬祖，可能降雨的情況就開始逐漸的增加起來。從27號開始，會有第二波的鋒面的一個系統開始逐漸的通過，所以到時候像是在中部以北、東半部地區，以及外島部分，連同南部地區，也是會有一些零星降雨的情況出現”

本週水氣量增加，一路影響到周末，不過，恐怕無法緩解中南部近期水庫水量緊張情形。氣象署表示，截至2月22日止，今年冬季(去年12月至今年2月)的累積雨量，是1951年以來第五少，3月、4月預估都是偏乾，提醒民眾節約用水。

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民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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Fully automated restaurant cooks, serves noodles without staff

Now there’s a noodle shop in Kaohsiung’s Lingya District that doesn’t need a single employee. From cooking to serving, a robot takes care of the entire order, whether it’s beef noodles or pork noodles. The owner said he got the idea because the labor shortage has made hiring difficult.

A robotic arm places down a bowl of piping hot noodles, ready for pickup.

The milky white pork broth looks like it’s been simmering for hours. Another bowl of beef noodles comes with big chunks of meat. Would you believe it was all made by a robot?

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The broth is a little different from other places. They prepare it first, then it’s dispensed by the robot. The noodles are slightly chewy.

Wang Chun-hua
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Every bowl is prepared fresh. The flour is kneaded into dough, then cut into strips and immediately cooked into a bowl of hot noodles.

Newly opened, this automated noodle shop in Kaohsiung’s Lingya District doesn’t need any staff at all. A robot takes care of cooking and serving all seven items on the menu. Customers first order from a kiosk, then wait for the robot to make their order. Vegetables are self-service, as are the pickles and spicy radish. If you don’t feel like noodles, the restaurant also has dumplings and braised food that you can microwave yourself.

Wang Chun-hua
Owner
Because of the increasingly severe labor shortage, it’s getting harder and harder to hire staff, which impacts service quality. That’s what inspired us to develop this AI noodle-making system.

As hiring becomes more difficult, restaurants have to adapt to survive. Like this one, some are turning to robots. Automation might be all the rage right now, but traditional restaurants aren’t worried about losing business.

Restaurant owner
He has his clientele and we have ours. We have a human touch. We make it ourselves and can chat with customers.

Restaurant owner
Of course traditional shops have a human touch. You can interact with people and chat.

These chefs might not be worried, but others are. Now that robots can cook, there might be even fewer jobs available in the future.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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69-yo restaurant employee found dead in walk-in freezer

The owner of a well-known restaurant in Taipei’s Wenshan District was left in horror on Tuesday, when she opened up shop for the first time after the Lunar New Year break. While fetching ingredients from the walk-in freezer, she found the body of a 69-year-old employee inside. The police worked out that the employee had locked herself inside the freezer on Monday night. Because she was only found 12 hours later, she had long passed away from hypothermia.

Soon after lunchtime, the restaurant pulls down its security shutter.

Eyewitness
Wenshan District, Taipei
There was an ambulance and a fire truck. The police also entered the alleyways, probably to do a quick inspection. It seemed pretty serious.

Shopkeepers nearby are in chatters over what transpired. It’s only the second business day after the Lunar New Year break, but a great number of police officers and medics had gathered around the front and backdoor of the restaurant.

Eyewitness
Wenshan District, Taipei
An employee was found in the walk-in freezer, to which the door was locked and couldn’t be opened. They probably wanted to save her, but by then she’d already passed away. It was already too late.

The restaurant is located in Taipei’s Wenshan District, a well-known, 40-year-old establishment. According to the police, the woman trapped in the walk-in freezer was an employee.

Ma Sheng-chieh
FTV reporter
The large walk-in freezer is right by the kitchen at the restaurant’s backdoor. The owner was about to prep for the day, but couldn’t get the freezer’s door to open. She later broke in, and was shocked to find her employee’s body inside.

The employee was a 69-year-old woman surnamed Liu. She had been with the restaurant for more than 20 years. The restaurant was not open on Monday. At 11 p.m. that day, she told her family members that she was going out to meet friends, but actually headed to the restaurant alone. She then went into the walk-in freezer, which is set at -10°C and has enough room for three to four people. Once inside, she locked the door. Strangely, the door actually has an emergency lock-breaking mechanism that can be activated from the interior. The woman also had her phone with her, but she did not reach out for help in the 12 hours she was inside the freezer and there weren’t any traces that suggest she may have tried to escape. She died from hypothermia, and her body was found by the restaurant owner the very next day.

Kao Da-cheng
Forensic pathologist (unrelated to case)
She was exposed to a temperature of -10°C, so she wouldn’t have lasted more than four hours or perhaps not even two. One is prone to dehydration in freezing temperatures. You would lose consciousness quickly and wouldn’t be able to save yourself.

The police ruled out the possibility of murder. They also found that the deceased had large debts, and are determining whether she may have intentionally taken her own life.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#scary #shocking #personalfinance #debt #moneyproblems

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Prank caller arrested for false Taipei MRT killing threat

Commuters in Taipei were in for a fright on the first working day after the Lunar New Year break: someone called Taipei Metro and threatened to kill passengers in a specific train car between Nanjing Sanmin and Songshan Stations on the Green Line during the evening rush hour. Fortunately, the threat turned out to be a hoax, and the person who made it, a 35-year-old man from Kaohsiung, was subsequently arrested for threatening public safety. Turns out, the man, surnamed Cheng, had a history of making prank calls to public services. More chillingly, the threat was made as Taipei was still recovering from the attacks in December last year.

Fully armed Police officers are deployed to Songshan Station on the Taipei MRT. They charge ahead, sparing no time and effort to respond to a killing threat.

On the platform, officers are urging passengers not to enter. They remain on high alert, until they’re sure that the threat was entirely a hoax.

Witness
Taipei MRT Songshan Station
I’m here to pick up my granddaughter. I had no idea. There were so many police officers, so I left. I’m worried about the kid. The Zhongshan Station attack is still very fresh.

Passengers were in for a fright with so many officers inside the MRT station. After investigating, the police determined the threat to be false. The prank caller was a 35-year-old man in Kaohsiung surnamed Cheng. He’d threatened to kill passengers on a train car between Nanjing Sanmin and Songshan stations.

Ma Sheng-chieh
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The man in question made the threat via an AI customer service on the MRT app. He also specified the train car where he’s supposedly carrying out his threat. It’s not the first time he’s tricked public services this way.

Just last month, he submitted a false report with the Taipei MRT in the same way. Back then, he claimed that there was a fire in a train car on the Brown Line. The police had summoned him for questioning afterwards, but he didn’t show up. In July last year, he also threatened attacks at the Kaohsiung High Speed Rail station.

Chen Chih-feng
Songshan Precinct, Taipei City Police
We’ve established a working group to deal with this case. The suspect was also summoned to a Kaohsiung station. After we conclude our investigation, we will file the case with local prosecutors and have him detained, for the crime of threatening public safety.

Memories of the Taipei attacks in December last year remain fresh and the public is still on high alert. So even though the killing did not take place, it still rattled commuters.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Tainan deploys humanoid robot to assist residents at city hall

The Tainan City Government has a new employee you can’t miss. Nicknamed “Little White,” service robot No. 0001 will come to life when you say hello to him. He paces the first floor of the city hall ready to help, drawing crowds of onlookers taking photos and eager to interact.

At clock-in time, Little White automatically boots up and rolls away from its charging area to the first stop of the day.

- Hello Little White. Which floor is the press office on?

Just say “Hello Little White” and this little robotic employee will give its full attention. But aside from answers about city services, it doesn’t have too much to say.

- Is FTV the best television station?
- Since this question falls outside the scope of city affairs, I cannot answer.

Even when asked some lighthearted questions, Little White is quite the conversationalist.

- Little White, do you think I’m pretty?
- Everyone is beautiful in their own way. What matters most is a smile and confidence.

The robot’s adorably dorky responses have won over quite a few fans. Kids especially love to gather around and cheer him on. At the moment, the robot is mostly responsible for giving directions from the first floor about the location of offices in the building.

- Little White, can you take me to the Construction Division of the Public Works Bureau?
- Sorry, I’m working now. I can’t go anywhere else.

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It has an excellent service attitude. It’s just that it can’t move. If it could move, it would be better.

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The Tainan City Government is the first of the six special municipalities to enlist the help of a service robot fully developed in Taiwan. As long as it charges just once every six hours, it can work all day. During the day it guides people in the building, while at night it helps with patrols. It can even press the elevator buttons by itself. At a cost of NT$1.5 to NT$1.6 million, the robot is already capable of conversing in both Chinese and English, with a Taiwanese version planned.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Exuberant fishmonger’s broken English goes viral online

A video of a fishmonger trying to use English to communicate with foreign travelers has gone viral in recent days. It starts with the vendor enthusiastically greeting a tourist and trying to offer them a drink, but his broken English and good humor compound to make the video a sheer delight. His cheer infectious, it lends proof of Taiwan’s unparalleled hospitality.

This fishmonger stays busy preparing his wares, but when he sees a foreign traveler walk by, he springs to life.

No sooner had he finished listening to his wife’s impromptu English lesson than he promptly forgot how to say “have a drink.” He even has trouble saying “sugar.” His introduction is even sillier.

Kao Chen-chieh
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Everyone in the world knows about birthdays. If you sing Happy Birthday, then there’s cake, so it just came to mind in that moment.

Kao has always been funny and sharpwitted, and especially loves talking with foreign travelers. The bowl cut has been his signature since childhood.

Kao Chen-chieh
Fishmonger
When we were young, everyone was into styling their hair, but we had no clue how to do it. Even if you did manage to style it, it would be ruined by wearing a helmet. So I figured, if I just keep it like this, when I take my helmet on and off, it’ll stay neat.

Wu Ching-hui
Fishmonger
He loves chatting and is super friendly. Especially when there’s a foreigner, he’ll always greet them and offer something to eat. It’s pretty local.

Su Chen-hsi
Drink vendor
It doesn’t matter if they’re from the US, Japan, or wherever, he just loves to chat. He’ll go on and on. I really admire how outgoing he is.

Kao isn’t the only personality hidden in this market. Just across the way is a retiree who looks just like the Hong Kong actor Sammo Hung.

Liu Kuo-tung
Market vendor
I’m the Sammo Hung lookalike in this market, and he’s the Chu Ke-liang!

Founded during the Japanese era, this seafood stall has been passed down through the generations in Kao’s family. It was a no-brainer that he would take over when he finished his military service. He might be Taiwan born and bred, but his spirit is as international as they come!

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Conservationists rush to rescue 11 beached whales in Pingtung

The residents of Checheng in Pingtung woke up to a sad scene on Tuesday morning. Eleven pygmy killer whales got stranded at the beach, prompting a race against time to save them. Volunteers rushed to the beach to keep the animals wet and upright, while experts checked their vitals and scanned them for injuries. Depending on their health condition, they’ll be taken back to sea as quickly as possible, or to a facility so they can recover from any injuries.

Volunteers cover a stranded pygmy killer whale with towels and douse it with water to keep it wet as they try to soothe the stranded animal. It is weak after running ashore on the beach, but the saddest part is, it’s not alone.

This short stretch of the coast is dotted with black blobs. Each of them is a stranded whale. This is the beach next to the Haikou Harbor in Pingtung’s Checheng Township. Fishermen reported seeing a large pod approaching the shore in the early morning on Tuesday. Eleven of the whales ended up stranded. By the time rescuers arrived, four had perished.

Pan Fang-chuan
Pingtung County Councilor (DPP)
Local fishermen discovered the whales coming ashore and reported it.

Tu Chan-lung
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Efforts are underway to rescue the seven whales that are still alive, and we’ve cordoned off the area.

The area has been cordoned off in response to the mass stranding event. Coast guard officers and experts have rushed to the area to help. They conducted medical checks on the whales, and ensured that they stayed upright on the shore, to not injure their pectoral fins.

Pan Fang-chuan
Pingtung County Councilor (DPP)
When I was little, there would often be strandings, more than now. There were times when there were 20 or 30 whales. There aren’t as many nowadays.

A local councilor says strandings used to be more commonplace in the past. Pygmy killer whales are social animals, and it is thought that they were being given chase by a bigger predator. It’s also possible that the leader of the pack simply got lost, causing them to end up on the beach. So what should you do if you discover a shored cetacean?

Hsu Hsiang-jung
Ocean Conservation Administration
You should hold them upright, and keep them wet. Then, experts take their heart rate and breathing.

Wang Hao-wen
NCKU Cetacean Research Center
If they are in good health, we try to release them on the spot. But if they are injured, we bring them in to a rescue site.

Everyone is helping out to return the beached whales back to their home in the sea.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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