TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Central Weather Administration (CWA, 氣象署) issued a cold weather alert for 18 counties and cities on Friday (Jan. 17), warning of chilly mornings and evenings due to a continental cold air mass and radiative cooling. The cold wave gripped Taiwan, dropping temperatures to 7.7 degrees Celsius in Miaoli County's Sanwan earlier that day. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) predicted an ultra-strong cold air mass will descend before the Lunar New Year.
The CWA reported morning lows ranging from 10-13°C, with some open and mountainous areas potentially seeing temperatures below 10 degrees. An orange alert, indicating very cold conditions, remained in place for New Taipei City (新北市) and Yilan County (宜蘭縣), while a yellow alert, signifying cold weather, covered areas including Taipei (臺北市), Taoyuan (桃園市), and others. Lienchiang County (連江縣) could experience temperatures below 6°C.
Daytime highs reached 16-18°C in northern Taiwan, Yilan, Hualien, Penghu, and Kinmen, while central and southern regions, along with Taitung, saw temperatures between 20 and 23°C. Matsu experienced temperatures ranging from 8 -12°C throughout the day. The weather remained mostly cloudy to sunny, with scattered showers along the eastern coast.
As the weekend approaches, the CWA expects radiative cooling to keep temperatures low on Saturaday morning, though a weakening cold air mass will allow for warmer daytime temperatures. Sunday could bring localized showers to northern Taiwan and mountain areas as mid-level moisture moves in, with the rest of the island remaining mostly cloudy.
