TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei registered a record-high temperature for May on Wednesday afternoon.
The Central Weather Administration said that around 2 p.m., the temperature at the Taipei Weather Station hit 38.3 C, breaking the station’s previous May record high. The previous record was 38.2 C, set on May 28, 2021, and tied on May 27, 2018.
CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) told CNA that the extreme heat was driven mainly by a strong Pacific high-pressure system. He added that early-morning temperatures were also unusually high, with a low of 28.7 C recorded at the Taipei station.
National Cheng Kung University’s Building and Climate Laboratory, headed by distinguished professor Lin Tzu-ping (林子平), said in a Facebook post that daytime heat in Greater Taipei has traditionally centered in Wanhua and Zhongzheng districts before spreading to Shilin, Neihu, and Xinyi.
However, the lab said this year’s most notable urban heat island trend is a slight northward shift in the hottest zones. Its first nighttime temperature mapping also highlighted persistent overnight urban heat, showing characteristics of a “tropical night.”
The lab noted that at 2 p.m. Tuesday, temperatures in most of Greater Taipei exceeded 36 C, while previously cooler areas around Daan Forest Park also failed to cool significantly. Shezi Island reached a high of 37.8 C.
Taipei’s basin geography traps hot air, while dense buildings, concrete surfaces, and waste heat from air conditioners further intensify the urban heat island effect. The lab said fewer green spaces also make it harder for cities to cool down at night.
At 2 a.m. Wednesday, temperatures in Shilin, near the National Taiwan Science Education Center, still reached about 30.6 C. The lab said this showed the city effectively remains a massive heat reservoir even deep into the night.
The lab warned that high nighttime temperatures can be more dangerous than daytime heat. While daytime heat affects outdoor activity, sustained nighttime heat prevents the body from cooling properly, disrupting sleep and increasing cardiovascular stress and the risk of heat-related illness, especially for elderly people, rooftop residents, and other vulnerable groups without air conditioning.
