TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A strong continental cold air mass, forecasted by the Central Weather Administration (CWA), reached Taiwan Tuesday (Dec. 19), with early morning temperatures plummeting to between 16 and 19 degrees Celsius, a slight drop from the day before.
Meteorological expert Wu Der-rong analyzed that this wave of "strong continental cold air" has arrived with another imminent – potentially dropping the low temperatures to about 8 degrees in some flatland areas.
The CWA indicated that daytime high temperatures in Northern Taiwan and Yilan are expected to range from 19 to 22 degrees, with central and southern regions experiencing highs of about 27 to 28 degrees and Hualien and Taitung reaching around 25 to 26 degrees. As night falls, temperatures in areas north of central Taiwan and Yilan are set to dip to 15 or 16 degrees, while the south and eastern regions will see lows of about 17 to 19 degrees.
Rainfall is expected to turn sporadic in the windward areas of Northern Taiwan, the eastern part of the island, and the Hengchun Peninsula, with increasing probability as the evening progresses. In other regions, the skies will be mostly cloudy.
According to the Facebook community "TyTech Taiwan's Weather Express," the next powerful cold air mass has been updated by the weather authority to a "cold wave," expecting temperature declines starting Tuesday, with the coldest moment anticipated on Thursday and Friday.
In his column, Wu mentioned that from tomorrow until Saturday morning, significant rainfall is expected on the windward side under the influence of the "strong continental cold air mass," with a continued temperature decrease.
By late Thursday to early Friday, temperatures in flatland areas of Northern Taiwan could drop to 9 or 10 degrees, with some areas potentially hitting lows around 8 degrees.
As for the likelihood of snow, Wu pointed out that on Thursday and Friday, the moisture and temperatures in mountainous regions such as Taipingshan and Hehuanshan approach snowfall criteria, with higher chances of snow than the previous cold air mass, but remained cautious about forecast changes.
Wu predicts that the cold air will slightly weaken from Saturday daytime until next Sunday daytime. Nevertheless, it will strengthen again from Sunday night through Monday before weakening again the following Tuesday.
Northern Taiwan will continue to be affected by the polar continental air mass, leading to wet and cold conditions. At the same time, central and southern Taiwan can expect cooler temperatures in the early morning and evening.
