Former Director of the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau (now known as the Meteorological Administration), Zheng Mingdian, pointed out that tropical sea temperatures have reached a new high, marking an unprecedented phenomenon.
In a Facebook post, Zheng Mingdian stated that the region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn is referred to as the “tropics,” where the average temperatures have been consistently higher since last May, with nearly daily record-breaking high temperatures since last June, now reaching record highs in modern analysis history.
He emphasized that this is not a short-term occurrence. With tropical land occupying a small percentage and a large portion of the area consisting of oceans, we are facing an unprecedented situation of abnormally warm tropical sea temperatures.
Record-breaking heatwaves are wreaking havoc in parts of Asia, leading to a sharp rise in demand for cooling equipment such as air conditioners. The Taiwan Meteorological Administration indicated that as the season transitions into the rainy season, current atmospheric circulation patterns show that the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean are still enveloped by anticyclonic high-pressure systems. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines and the Indochinese Peninsula are influenced by subtropical high-pressure systems, resulting in numerous extreme high-temperature events in the region.
Zheng Mingdian remarked, “There is minimal convective activity in the Indochinese Peninsula this year, with ongoing intensive fire incidents! Studies have shown that the smoke here can affect monsoons, which in turn affect Taiwan’s weather. We cannot deny its relevance to us.”
Additionally, he shared observations of a solar flare on the morning of the 3rd, stating that it was an X-class solar flare around 10:30 a.m. Taipei time. Unlike most flares occurring at the periphery of the observing surface, this event happened very close to the central line of the solar observation surface, marking a significant occurrence.
Moreover, Zheng Mingdian also discussed the presence of a “strong Kuroshio current.” The map he shared displays ocean current speeds, with yellow indicating speeds between 0.5 to 1.0 meters per second and red showing speeds exceeding 1.0 meter per second. This concentrated and continuous flow originates from the eastern waters of the Philippines, passes along the east coast of Taiwan, extends to Japan, then turns eastward, representing the Pacific “Kuroshio” current.