TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Environment announced it will launch an extreme heat response drill on Monday, simulating the impacts of a three-day heatwave with temperatures reaching 40 C, including widespread power outages and overheating railway infrastructure, per CNA.
Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明) said in a Facebook post that the exercise will involve coordination among multiple government agencies to strengthen preparedness for increasingly severe high-temperature weather events. The drill will simulate the cascading effects of an extreme heatwave, testing the ability of central and local governments to respond through interagency cooperation.
The ministry said this year's extreme heat response exercise consists of four stages: a seminar, a simulation, a live exercise, and a review meeting. The seminar phase was completed on April 27, while the second phase will take place next week, featuring a simulation involving central government ministries and local governments, with the live exercise date and location yet to be determined.
Peng noted that heat-related casualties have already been reported in several countries. He said the exercises next week are intended to clarify responsibilities and coordination mechanisms between central and local authorities while encouraging government agencies to assess risks and prepare response plans.
As for the live exercise, the ministry said a county or city government will be selected in July to host Taiwan's first cross-ministerial, live heat response exercise, with local authorities leading on-site operations with support from the central government. Lessons learned from the exercise will be incorporated into the Fourth Phase National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan, serving as a framework for government response to extreme heat events, per CNA.
