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Taiwan typhoon closures: thresholds versus announcements
Taiwan's wind and rainfall criteria help authorities decide whether to suspend work and classes; meeting a threshold does not itself announce a closure. The rules primarily cover government agencies and public and private schools, with exceptions for assigned duties and a separate provision for public enterprises and other special institutions. To check an actual decision, use the official announcement for the relevant place, date and institution. Rules, Articles 2, 4, 9 and 18.
To check announcements, visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration (DGPA): English lookup or Chinese lookup. DGPA's guidance identifies the English page in the context of a land typhoon warning. This article explains how to read the framework; it does not report today's closures. DGPA Q&A, Q3-5.
What a “typhoon day off” covers
“Typhoon day off” is a familiar expression, but the official framework concerns a temporary suspension of work and classes in response to a disaster. It is not an ordinary holiday for everyone. DGPA Q&A, Q4-1.
Article 2 covers government agencies at all levels and public and private schools. It also makes an important exception: staff whom the agency or school head assigns to shift duty, disaster response or other special duties requiring normal attendance or necessary staffing are outside that provision. A suspension announcement therefore does not mean every staff member has the day off. Rules, Article 2.
The scope does not end with agencies and schools. Under Article 18, public enterprises and other special institutions apply the rules with appropriate adaptations. It treats private enterprises separately, referring to labor or other law and consultation between employers and workers. A public work-and-class announcement alone does not settle an individual's private-sector attendance, pay or leave arrangements; those questions are outside this guide. Rules, Article 18.
Four things to keep separate
A weather forecast, a condition set out in the rules, an authorized decision and a published notice each answer a different question. The comparison below is a reading aid, not a formula or a required sequence that automatically produces a closure.
| Part of the framework | What it tells you | What it does not establish by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Weather information | Forecast or observed conditions, as relevant to the particular rule. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) supplies meteorological information. | That an authorized official has announced a suspension. |
| Rule conditions and local circumstances | Whether the relevant wind, rainfall or disruption conditions provide grounds for a suspension decision. | That a single weather reading produces an automatic closure. |
| Authorized decision | What the responsible local authority, an authorized local official or an agency or school head has decided within their authority. | That every area, institution or worker is covered. |
| Official notice | The decision as announced, including the area and period to which it applies. | A general holiday entitlement or a guarantee about travel conditions. |
The roles and conditions come from Articles 2, 4 and 9–11 of the rules, with the scope extension in Article 18.
How wind, rain and local disruption enter the decision
Article 4 sets out alternative conditions under which authorities may announce a suspension. Each condition has its own requirements; there is no single “bad weather means closure” test.
- The wind branch is forecast-based. It concerns an area that may fall within the typhoon's storm-wind radius during the specified forecast window and also meet the specified average-wind or gust criterion. The timing and geographic condition matter alongside the wind level.
- The rainfall branch allows forecasts or actual observations. Rainfall must reach the reference level for the relevant local reporting authority, and a disaster must already have occurred or be possible. Reaching the rainfall reference level is not enough; the disaster condition must also be met.
- The below-threshold branch addresses local disruption. Even where wind or rain does not reach the preceding criteria, terrain or rainfall may disrupt transport or interrupt or hinder water or power supplies. This branch applies when that disruption affects travel or the safety of work and classes, or creates the possibility of a disaster.
These are summaries of the conditions, not a numeric threshold reference. For the complete wind criteria, forecast window and locality-specific rainfall table, consult Article 4 and its attachment.
DGPA's Q&A explains why local conditions still matter: rainfall references are one consideration in a judgment that also takes account of terrain, transport and utilities. That helps explain why comparing two weather figures alone cannot establish what each locality should announce. It also does not let a reader infer that conditions are safe because a threshold has not been reached. DGPA Q&A, Q2-1 and Q3-1.
Who decides, and who supplies the information?
For agencies and schools in their jurisdictions, special-municipality mayors and county or city heads are the decision-makers under Article 9. Local governments may delegate that authority to district or township-level heads to reflect differences in terrain, transport and local conditions. Those delegated officials must report their announcements to the relevant city or county government. Rules, Article 9.
Agency and school heads can also decide on a suspension in light of actual conditions at their location. They must notify their staff and students, arrange for local media to broadcast the decision, and report it to the city or county government. Where there is a superior agency, they must also report to it for its records. City and county governments, in turn, must report or consolidate reports of decisions for DGPA. Rules, Article 9.
CWA has a different role. Article 11 provides for it to supply wind, gust and rainfall forecasts to the responsible authorities and DGPA, as well as through the media. That information supports the decision; it is not itself the local suspension announcement. Likewise, DGPA's collection and publication of reports should not be confused with the local authority's decision. Rules, Articles 9 and 11; DGPA Q&A, Q3-5.
Why the timing and wording of a notice matter
The discretion to announce a suspension does not make the announcement procedure optional. Article 10 sets publication and media-notification requirements for decisions during typhoon-warning periods. It also allows announcements at other times as circumstances require. Finding no announcement when you check does not rule out a later decision. Rules, Article 10.
A notice can also concern classes only. When it is difficult to determine from CWA forecasts whether the wind or rainfall criteria in Article 4's first two branches have been met, the responsible head may first decide to suspend classes on student-safety grounds or because of other special circumstances. Do not read a school-only decision as a suspension of work at every workplace. Rules, Article 10.
A checklist for reading an announcement
Use the official DGPA lookup, with the Chinese page available as another official destination. Check the following in the notice or linked announcement:
- Date and affected period: Which day does it concern, and does it apply to the whole day or only part of it?
- Geographic scope: Does it cover the whole city or county, a named district or township, or a narrower area?
- Institutional scope: Does it suspend work and classes, classes only, or activity at a specified institution?
- Publication or update information, where shown: Is the announcement you are reading the relevant version, rather than an earlier notice or a repost from another date?
Use this checklist alongside any qualifications in the notice; it does not assume a particular page layout. Rules, Articles 9–10; DGPA Q&A, Q3-5.
Frequently asked questions
Does meeting a weather threshold automatically close offices and schools?
No. Article 4 describes conditions under which authorities may announce a suspension. The applicable qualifications and the authorized announcement still matter. A forecast or weather reading is not a substitute for that notice. Rules, Article 4.
Can authorities announce a suspension below the wind or rain thresholds?
Yes, Article 4 includes a separate branch for terrain- or rainfall-related disruption to transport, water or power. The conditions involving travel, safety at work or school, or the possibility of a disaster still apply. It is not an unrestricted exception for any inconvenient weather. Rules, Article 4.
Does CWA decide whether work and classes are suspended?
CWA supplies meteorological information. Article 9 assigns decision authority to local heads, with provisions for delegation and agency- or school-specific decisions. Look for the authorized announcement rather than treating a forecast table as the decision. Rules, Articles 9 and 11.
Where can I check an actual announcement?
Use DGPA's English lookup or Chinese lookup. Match the announcement to the date, area and institution you are checking. This article does not reproduce a live closure result. DGPA Q&A, Q3-5.
Explore HypaForecast markets
Browse the market list, or view the questions and current-round details for the 5-minute and 15-minute BTC markets. These links are separate from the official closure information above.
Sources and scope
- Taiwan Ministry of Justice: consolidated rules on suspending work and classes during natural disasters. Chinese text revised April 24, 2026; Articles 2, 4, 9–11 and 18 are the main provisions used here.
- DGPA: May 2026 revised work-and-class suspension Q&A. Posted May 5, 2026; Q2-1, Q3-1, Q3-5 and Q4-1 explain local judgment, official lookup destinations and the meaning of suspension.
Sources checked October 25, 2026. These dates refer to the sources and when they were checked, not to any closure announcement. The English explanations here paraphrase the Chinese sources; they are not an authenticated official translation. This guide does not assess personal employment rights or whether travel is safe.
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