Cold wave predicted for Lunar New Year holiday

Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) Much of Taiwan will experience a cold wave after the start of the Year of the Rabbit on the lunar calendar, which begins Sunday, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) forecast Friday.

The arrival of the cold wave, defined as temperatures falling below 10 degrees Celsius at the Taipei weather station, will send temperatures plummeting Monday night on the second day of the new year, CWB forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said.

Temperatures will remain low on Tuesday and Wednesday, when snow is expected at high altitudes, Tseng said.

Before that, temperatures on Friday will likely be lower than on Thursday, with daytime highs ranging between 15 and 18 degrees in the north and 23-25 degrees in central and southern Taiwan, Tseng told CNA.

The mercury will rebound in northern and northeastern Taiwan on Lunar New Year's Eve on Saturday and New Year's Day on Sunday thanks to weakening northeasterly winds, Tseng said.

After the cold wave at the start of next week, the weather should take a turn for the better by Thursday, according to the forecaster.