Temperatures will alternate between cold and warm several times during the 10-day Lunar New Year holiday from Friday (Jan. 20) to Sunday next week (Jan. 29), the Central Weather Bureau said Wednesday.
A strong continental cold air mass is set to pass through in Taiwan between Monday and Wednesday next week, which could push the mercury down to below 10 degrees Celsius, the CWB said.
The weather will be very changeable during the holiday, and there will be a wave of cold air almost every two days, CWB forecaster Lin Ping-yu (???) said.
Lin reminded people to pay attention to weather changes when returning home or traveling during the period.
On Thursday, a weakening of a cold air mass will see temperatures in the north and northeast rise slightly, according to the CWB.
However, under the influence of seasonal northeasterly winds, the weather in northern Taiwan, Yilan and Hualien in the east will turn cooler Friday, with windward areas in the north and northeast likely to experience sporadic rain, while mostly cloudy or sunny skies are forecast for central and southern regions of the country.
From Saturday to Sunday (the first day of the Lunar New Year), with the weakening of northeasterly winds, the mercury will rebound, with daytime highs in the north reaching 21-22 degrees.
Meanwhile, temperatures of 24-28 degrees are forecast for central and southern Taiwan, and 20-24 degrees in the east, the CWB said.
During the period, sunny skies are expected for almost all areas of the country, with only Greater Taipei and eastern Taiwan likely to see occasional isolated rain, according to the CWB.
It also said that there would likely be low clouds or fog in central and southern Taiwan during the early morning, which could lower visibility.
Next Monday (Jan. 23), a strong cold air mass moving southward toward Taiwan is expected to set in to affect the weather through Wednesday when temperatures might drop to the threshold of a cold snap, which is defined as a weather event in which temperatures recorded by the Taipei weather station fall below 10 degrees.
Next Thursday and Friday, the cold air will weaken and temperatures will rebound, with localized fog likely in the central and southern parts of the country in the early morning.
Next Saturday and Sunday, with the arrival of another cold front and the strengthening of northeasterly winds, windward areas in northern Taiwan will turn cooler again, according to the CWB.
Meanwhile, meteorologist Wu Der-rong (???) said that a continental cold air mass forecast to affect Taiwan next Monday to Wednesday had a high possibility of reaching the level of a cold snap on Tuesday or Wednesday, pushing temperatures down to six degrees in low-lying areas, with snowfall likely on high mountains.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel