Taiwan seen getting drier, hotter in coming decades

[dArKeR]

The cold wet weather brought by this week's rain may have dampened Lantern Festival festivities, but the precipitation is a welcome relief for most of the water-starved regions across the island which have suffered a prolonged dry spell over the past two years.

After this month, however, Taiwan will likely return to its persistent dryness, marked by below average rainfall. This pattern is tied into the climatic changes taking place on a regional scale around the Asian continent and western Pacific Ocean regions, according to scientists.

"Our research results indicate that Taiwan will likely experience more rapid and dramatic shifts between dry and wet periods. Over the long-term, we may be seeing more drought years. These dry patches are expected to last two to three years," said Professor Hsu Huang-hsiung, chairman of National Taiwan University Department of Atmospheric Sciences.

http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/02/06/1076033232.htm