Strong cold air mass to hit Taiwan Tuesday, bringing single-digit lows to north

強烈冷氣團週二襲擊台灣，為北部帶來個位數低溫

Temperatures will reach their lowest Wednesday morning, with mercury likely to drop to around 12 degrees in Taipei


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The lowest temperature in flat areas of Taiwan Sunday (Jan. 9) was the 11 degrees Celsius recorded in the Hsinchu and Miaoli areas, but meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said single-digit temperatures are in store for the island this week.

Affected by northeasterly winds, occasional brief showers are likely along the north and east coasts on Sunday, CNA cited Wu as saying. Northern Taiwan is expected to see partly cloudy skies and cool temperatures, while mostly clear skies and comfortable weather are forecast for the central and southern regions during the day.

A strong cold air mass will arrive on Tuesday (Jan. 11), lowering temperatures across the country and bringing occasional rainfall to the north and east, Wu added. He said there is a chance of snow that day on Taipingshan, which has an altitude of around 2,000 meters, as temperatures are expected to drop to zero degrees on the mountain.

According to the meteorologist’s estimates, the mercury will reach its lowest on Wednesday morning (Jan. 12), with Taipei likely to experience temperatures of around 12 degrees and with lows of about 9 degrees in flat northern areas.

Temperatures will gradually rise on Wednesday, and snow on high mountains will become less likely, the meteorologist said. Lows on mountains 3,000 m above sea level or higher are likely to drop below zero degrees in the coming week, so the chances of snowfall on these mountains will hinge on levels of humidity that could fluctuate, per CNA.

From Wednesday to Saturday morning (Jan. 15), the cold air mass will gradually weaken, and the air will become drier, with sunny skies in the west and scattered showers in the east, Wu said. He added that there will be a big difference between day and nighttime temperatures during this period.

From Saturday on, the cold air mass will weaken and temperatures will rise significantly. Sunny skies are expected in the west and occasional showers in the east, Wu added.