Perfect weekend weather turns to “dirty rain” in northern Taiwan

weather map showing airstreams
Weather 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A clear, warm, sunny Saturday saw the weekend in northern Taiwan start with perfect weather, but Sunday turned to rain that meteorologists warned could be contaminated with pollutants. Taiwan’s private weather company WeatherRisk said that a strengthening of northeastern monsoonal winds caused an obvious drop in temperature and increase in moisture in northern and northeastern areas this morning. The rain will increase in the afternoon, and in addition, airstreams will bring pollution from northern areas of China. The northeastern monsoon

Read more

Blackouts in Taipei after substation fire, explosion

smoke seen rising in Wenshan District, Taipei City
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

Power and water outages were reported in districts of Taipei this morning after a fire at an electrical substation in Wenshan District. Electricity supplier Taipower was alerted to a sudden drop in electricity consumption at 9:50 am, indicating a problem somewhere in the power grid. Power outages were reported in Wenshan, Yonghe, Banqiao, and Xindian districts. Residents of Wenshan District reported hearing an explosion at the Wanlong Substation on Jinglong Road, before seeing flames and a pall of black smoke.

Read more

Teen pilot to land in Taiwan on next leg of record-breaking flight

composite image of rough flight path and Shark Aero ultralight aircraft.
Aviation 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments ,

A 19-year-old pilot is scheduled to land at Taipei Songshan Airport, Tuesday, on the next leg of her quest to break several aviation records, including youngest female to fly solo around the world. Zara Rutherford departed from Belgium, August 18, on the planned 51,000-kilometer journey spanning five continents and 52 countries. Today, Saturday, December 12, Rutherford landed her Shark Aero ultralight airplane at Gimpo Airport in South Korea, marking the beginning of the Asian leg of her round-the-world quest. After

Read more

6 people on one scooter spotted in Taipei City

Society 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

A family of six was seen riding a scooter across Bailing Bridge in Taipei City, December 7, and some YouTube viewers suggested that the government should give them a free SUV. Dashcam footage uploaded to a popular YouTube channel showed two adults and four children crammed onto the motorcycle as it headed into Shilin District. Assumed to be a man and wife, two children stood on the floorboard, while a toddler sat between the adults, and the mother held a

Read more

Taichung’s dancing man spotted posing, smoking atop store sign

Taichung City dancing man atop 7-11 sign
Odd News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A man dubbed “Taichung Dancing Brother” in Taiwan’s Chinese language media, was spotted striking poses, and smoking while standing on a convenience store sign today, Friday, December 10. Taichung City Police Department dispatched three officers from Lide Station after receiving a report, but the 28-year-old man, named Zheng, had already left by the time the officers arrived. Zheng has become a fixture, not only in Taichung City streets, but in the national press in recent months, as he is regularly

Read more

Police arrest suspect after headless, limbless corpse found in New Taipei City

composite image showing police and TV news screenshots
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Police in New Taipei City arrested a man suspected of killing his own father, just 12 hours after a headless, limbless corpse was found in a drainage channel in New Taipei City, yesterday, December 8. At around 10:00 am, Wednesday, police received a report that a suspected human body was visible in the water in the channel beside Baoping Road in Yonghe District. A police forensics investigation found that the body was that of a male estimated to have been

Read more

Suspect in execution-style murder extradited from China: suffers seizure during COVID test

heavily armed police, medical workers, and a suspect
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , ,

A suspect who fled to China just hours after he allegedly shot and killed a man in New Taipei City collapsed and went into convulsions during a COVID test at the airport, just minutes after he was extradited back to Taiwan. Huang Yung-chun, is wanted in connection with the murder of 45-year-old coffee merchant Ho Ming-hsun. Ho was gunned down in front of his family home in Xindian District on the morning of November 22. The police forensic investigation found

Read more

Pumice from Ogasawara Islands volcano appears on Taiwan’s north coast: nuclear power plants on guard

pumice at keelung
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Volcanic pumice originating in the Ogasawara Islands of Japan has drifted to Taiwan’s north coast, and both maritime authorities and the Atomic Energy Council are taking precautions. Eruptions in the Micronesian island group, which includes Iwo Jima, began on August 13, producing enormous drifts of the floating stones that began to clog ports in Okinawa and other parts of Japan last month. See previous story: Volcanic activity, seismic shifts: WWII ships from Battle of Iwo Jima raised from watery graves

Read more

Toddler survives fall from 32nd-floor apartment

Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A three-year-old girl fell from the 32nd floor of a high-rise residential building in Taichung City, Wednesday, December 8, and survived after landing in a safety net on the second floor. According to reports in United Daily News, the toddler fell from her family’s residence on Zhongxing Road in South District shortly after 1:00 pm. The Taichung City Fire Department received a report of the incident at 1:19 pm and dispatched one fire truck, one ambulance, and 6 personnel to

Read more

Vehicular gymnastics: car flips over and makes perfect landing in Taichung City

composite image of car rolling and on its wheels
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A driver walked away from a traffic accident with minor bruises after her car rolled over 360 degrees, and landed on its wheels, after a collision at an intersection in Taichung City, Tuesday, December 7. Police received a report of a traffic accident at the intersection of Wulang Street and Guihe Street in Taichung’s West District at 10:45 am. The police report said that an SUV driven by a 46-year-old woman named Wang hit an SUV driven by a 46-year-old

Read more

Search continues for hiker missing in mountains for 14 days

composite image showing missing man and search and rescue personnel
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Firefighters, aircrews, and civilian volunteers are searching for a man who was last seen when he left a group of fellow hikers in a remote mountain area of Hualien County, November 24. The 52-year-old man, named Lee, left his group of 8 hikers, and turned back on the second day of a hike, feeling that he lacked the physical stamina to keep up. The other hikers continued, and when they reached a ridgeline and had network coverage on November 27,

Read more