TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Environment (MOENV, 環境部) stated on Thursday (Feb. 27) that poor atmospheric dispersion conditions are expected to persist until March 1, and advised the public to wear masks during the 228 holiday when venturing outdoors.
The eastern wind pattern created a rare meteorological scenario, leading to accumulated air pollution in the western region until Saturday. The ministry noted that several monitoring stations have issued red alerts. In response, local governments have established air pollution prevention command centers, executing various countermeasures to manage the situation.
Authorities have conducted 16 pollution prevention meetings, inspecting 401 factories and advising them on emission reduction. They also performed 72 open burning patrols, implemented dust control at 475 construction sites, and inspected or reported 658 restaurants. Moreover, they enforced emissions technology on 36,140 vehicles and carried out 240 public health protection measures.
To combat poor air quality, Taiwan's power plants have reduced electricity output by 3,554.7 million kilowatt-hours. This reduction equates to cutting emissions for 1.6 million households in New Taipei City for 20 days, achieving significant decreases in pollutants, including SOx by 99.2 metric tons and NOx by 95.9 metric tons. The MOENV emphasized that these efforts have reduced pollution by approximately 52% of the daily emissions from all power plants nationwide.
As the weekend approaches, the ministry predicted continued weak winds and low mixing layers, likely aggravating air quality until Saturday. They urge the public, especially the elderly and children, to limit outdoor activities and wear masks if necessary.
