The annual Wanan air defense drill is to be held across northern Taiwan on this day. The government requires all civilians to stay off the streets in a sheltered place while the alarms sound.
Air raid sirens are will sound at 1:30 PM to signal the start of 30-minute drills today in northern Taiwan.
Northern Taiwan covers Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu county and city, and Yilan County.
Vehicles must stop and pedestrians must find shelter in a shop or other covered area.
The MRT services are to operate normally, but disembarking passengers cannot leave MRT stations from 1:30pm to 2pm today and need to stay either on platforms or in hall areas.
Those who contravene evacuation controls will be subject to a fine ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 (US$1,003-US $5,014) under the Civilian Defense Act.
As for other areas in Taiwan
The Wanan air defense exercise will commence at different times across several locations across Taiwan.
● Central Taiwan – Tuesday 26th of July from 1:30pm – 2pm
(Taichung, Chiayi county and city, and Miaoli, Changhua, Nantou and Yunlin counties).
● Southern Taiwan – Wednesday 26th of July from 1:30pm – 2pm
(Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung County, with the eastern and outlying areas comprising Hualien, Taitung, Penghu, Kinmen, and Lienchiang counties).
● Eastern Taiwan – Thursday 27th of July from 1:30pm – 2pm
(Hualien and Taitung counties).
Why the need for these air defense exercises?
These defense exercises involve all of Taiwan’s military branches in order to test the country’s ability to fend off a Chinese invasion by simulating attacks from the sea, air, and land.
