78 Taiwanese died in a day due to extreme cold

The deaths are mainly recognized as people aged 54 to 89, due to the influence of abnormal cold weather.

Earlier, on February 7, 10 people in Binh Dong and 9 people in Tainan died when the temperature dropped sharply from 1am to 9pm. In addition, 7 people in Taichung were also taken to the hospital in a state of cardiac arrest (OHCA).

According to statistics from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Taiwan Fire Department, in the past month, there have been 1,345 cases of death related to the cold.

Experts say about 70% of death occurs at home, mainly from 6am to 10am, when the temperature decreases. Taiwan, with a more moist and warmer climate than Korea and Japan, does not popularize indoor heating. This makes many families easily affected when the temperature drops.

The government recommends that people keep warm and limit out in cold weather, especially early in the morning. Doctors also emphasize the importance of being careful when moving from a warm bed to a non -heated area, because the sudden change of temperature can cause blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke or sudden death.

Dr. Li Yi-Kung, a hospital from Te Dai Lam, recommended people to sit on the bed for a few minutes, gently moving limbs to improve blood circulation before standing up. In addition, keeping a coat or a warm blanket near the bed can help the body adapt better with low temperatures.

The meteorologist Chang Cheng-chuan from the Central Department of Meteorology said that this extreme cold spell reached the peak on the morning of February 9 and will last until February 10. Temperature in central Taiwan can drop to about 10 degrees Celsius, while the North may be down to 7-8 degrees C.

The South and Eastern Taiwan are expected to warm earlier, with the evening temperature and early morning ranging from 10 to 13 degrees C. Most areas are expected to be significantly warmer from February 11 , when the cold spells melted.