With a continental cold air mass expected to approach Taiwan next week, temperatures are forecast to fall to as low as 12 degrees Celsius across most of the country, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said Friday.
CWB forecaster Chang Cheng-chuan (???) said the continental cold air mass is expected to start to affect Taiwan from Jan. 16 to Jan. 17, sending temperatures around most of the country down to 12-13 degrees, especially in the early hours of the morning. Hualien and Taitung in the east are likely to remain warmer with a lowest temperature of 14-15 degrees.
Daytime highs during the two-day period will reach 15 degrees in northern Taiwan, 21-22 degrees in central Taiwan and 25 degrees in the south, Chang said.
Despite the cold air mass, the island is unlikely to see heavy precipitation with only sporadic showers in the north, while cloudy to sunny skies are forecast in central and southern areas, Chang added.
The continental cold air mass is expected to weaken from Jan. 18-19, with low temperatures of 14-15 degrees in the north and daytime highs of 19 degrees, Chang said.
However, the weather is forecast to turn unstable again from Jan. 20 with a northeasterly seasonal wind system set to push daytime temperatures down to 14-16 degrees, Chang said, adding that the cold weather will continue until Jan. 23, the second day of the upcoming Year of the Rabbit.
Windward locations in northern and northeastern parts of Taiwan will see some rain as a result of the seasonal wind system, Chang said.
Taiwan's 10-day Lunar New Year holiday starts on Jan. 20.
On Saturday, a weather front is expected to destabilize weather across Taiwan with showers possible in eastern parts of the country, Chang said.
In addition, fog and low-level cloud will affect western Taiwan as well as outlying Kinmen and Matsu islands on Saturday and Sunday. Strong waves are possible in the east, including Orchid Island and Green Island, as well as Hengchun Peninsula in the south on Saturday, followed by Keelung, the northeastern coast, eastern areas, the Hengchun Peninsula and Matsu Island from Sunday to Monday.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel