Image taken from Central Weather Bureau (CWB) website

Taipei, Feb. 6 (CNA) The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) has upgraded a strong continental cold air mass projected to reach Taiwan over the weekend to a cold surge that will bring cold and dry weather to the country from Feb. 10 to Feb. 13.

The CWB's definition of a cold surge is when the lowest temperature in the Taipei metropolitan area falls to 10 degrees Celsius or lower.

As the strongest cold surge of the winter is continuing its grip on Taiwan, another cold surge is expected to reach Taiwan late Feb. 10, bringing temperatures in coastal areas down to 7 degrees, according to CWB forecaster Cheng Chuan-fang (程川芳).

The CWB revised its projection after independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) forecast earlier in the day that a continental cold air mass from southern Taiwan will reach Taiwan Feb. 10.

Cheng said the bureau forecast the incoming cold surge will begin to affect Taiwan from late Feb. 10 and send the mercury to plummet to as low as 8-9 degrees in northern Taiwan and 7 degrees in low-lying coastal areas from Feb. 11 to Feb. 13.

The effects will last until Feb. 13 and the mercury will gradually rebound before Lunar New Year's Eve Feb. 15, according to Cheng.

(By Chen Wei-ting and Evelyn Kao)
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