TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Due to recent typhoons, Taiwan’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 2.52% in August, the highest in seven months, the government said on Wednesday (Sept. 6).

The onslaught of several typhoons in the past month forced up the price of food, said the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS). Average food prices were 3.46% higher than they were during the same period in 2022, with the storms affecting the prices of vegetables and fruit, while the higher cost of animal feed forced up meat prices, per CNA.

Prices should return to normal after typhoon season, but since Taiwan had just been hit by Typhoon Haikui, inflation in September is likely to remain high, according to the DGBAS. Following the summer, prices for services related to travel and holidays are expected to fall, leading to overall optimism that inflation is not going to rise further in the long term, the report said.