Little pond at the park is dry. The big one is holding on. But yes, most plants are dry. Bone dry.
Tonight it is expected to get cold as far as 16 degrees. But Friday we will be hit by a cold front from China, could be the strongest so far. Temperatures of 13 degrees expected.
I thought it was supposed to rain today.
Apparently not, it looks like it’s going to be a…
Dry Hump Day.
Hot…again.
For folks in Taipei: do not complain! This is paradise compared to the screeching heat of summer and the bone-chilling dampness of winter. Enjoy it while you can!
Guy
i agree, this has to be the longest stint of comfortable weather i’ve had here.
Be careful out there today in Taipei/New Taipei/Taoyuan guys. Apparently a fire occured in Zhongli late afternoon and it was a 飛達(Kenda?) tire factory of sort. Lots of chemicals in the air.
Here’s the Apple Daily report, I’m trying to find an English one.
::EDITED::
Location of fire.
Unlike every other day, you mean?
The fire was in Zhonghli, but the toxic cloud is coming to Taipei. Highly toxic stuff, really bad.
Good news is that all employees made it out safe. Problem would be the firefighters who had to inhale all that junk to save the rest.
A fire broke out at a factory owned by tire manufacturer Federal Corp. in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City on Tuesday. The plant was engulfed in flames and smoke as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. CNA photo Jan. 17, 2017
EDIT:
Zhonghli residents advised to wear masks, especially children.
Not all of us are enhanced raccoons that are immune to such chemicals.
Thanks for the clarification hermana. Edited my initial post.
I’ve been advised by the gf to not go cycling tonight towards Yang Ming Shan. Not sure if I’m going to listen to her…
Loving this weather in Taipei compared to most of the time. I like to stroll Taipei all day and the weather is usually unbearable but now is nice.
Hate factories using hazardous chemical so close to populated areas.
Maybe it’s time to invest in a P100 mask for cycling…
https://www.amazon.com/3M-6391-P100-Reusable-Respirator/dp/B001NDN29O
The first thing I did when I was told about the fire was to check this:
It seems that the cloud should be going S-W, so supposedly we are safe. Supposedly.
I wanted to ride tonight but I already have problems with my bronchus… 
I’ve checked different masks these days but the one posted by @nonredneck seems a better option.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/es/en/s?q=mask&cat=direct
This one is sold on ruten (thanks @Icon): http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/es/en/respro-sportsstar-anti-pollution-mask/rp-prod8649 / https://tw.bid.yahoo.com/item/【英國RESPRO口罩】Sportsta-Mask-黑色-只剩L號-100024718343
But this review puts me off:
Uncomfortable and does not filter UFPs as stated.
by Anonymous, 19 May 2011, 17 out of 18 people found this review helpful
Compared to the 3M 9211 mask which is merely $10, this is uncomfortable and works poorly.
Hard to get a good seal on the mask. The single strap fastening system slips down the neck. So you have to tighten it greatly, which puts pressure on the nose. The metal piece can help get an upper seal, but a lower chin seal is a problem.
But even if you get a seal, it does not filter the air as stated. It removes only 40% of the particles in the sub-micrometer range, allowing the smallest “nuclei mode” particles 0.005-0.05 µm to pass through completely, which have shown to be the most toxic.
The 3M mask removes 90%, and it is only rated to remove larger particles.
I would only recommend this mask for protection against large particles (like sawdust, or dirt dust blown up from mountain bike trails), and for someone running/riding in cold weather. Further, it may not be designed best for slender facial structures, because of the difficulty in getting a seal.
Do not think the high price means it will work better than the cheap mask. Do not give in. Would not recommend to anyone.
In other news, it will start raining again tomorrow, with the corresponding temperaturature drop. Expect 10 degrees average for the North and Central Taiwan up to Tuesday.
Quite normal for Chinese New Year.
There was light rain 1 hour ago
Nice response to the Jhongli Fire - that was fast information that provided a useful service for those who were possibly in the path of poison
Took a while for the cold surge to hit Taidong - it was hot and humid yesterday - but a cruel, cold wind is roaring though now
On Orchid Island they have had gusts up to 110kph!
We’ve enjoyed that for the whole day here in Yilan x_x I was really not expecting such a cold wind on my way to the stores, I was wearing shorts.
That’s what they refer to in Chinese as 飛毛腿.
It is 16 degrees out there, 19 degrees in this bunker of an office. I am sneezing non stop. Help! 
So we will have a bit of a dry and warm spell -CWB’s words, I am quoting… but next weekend there will be a drop down to 8 degrees with a pretty nasty cold front.
Lots of snow up North, so no surprises there.
