Cold advisories issued across Taiwan as temperatures remain low

Taipei, Dec. 22 (CNA) Temperatures across Taiwan will remain low Friday, potentially dipping below 6 degrees Celsius in parts of the country, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Friday.

The CWA issued cold surge advisories across most of Taiwan. An "orange light" warning was issued for areas north of Taoyuan and Hsinchu County, as well as the outlying Kinmen and Matsu islands, while a "yellow light" alert was issued south from Hsinchu City to Tainan, as well as in Hualien and Taitung counties.

An orange light warning indicates temperatures are predicted to dip below 6 degrees or be sustained at below 10 degrees. A yellow light means temperatures are expected to drop below 10 degrees.

Daytime temperatures will increase slightly on Friday, and hover around 12-14 degrees Celsius in northern Taiwan, and Yilan and Hualien counties, and 17-20 degrees in southern Taiwan, the CWA said.

Sporadic showers are also expected in the areas north of Taoyuan, and in the northern coastal and mountainous areas of the Greater Taipei area, the CWA added.

Strengthening winds could lead to dust which in turn may affect air quality and visibility in coastal areas from Changhua County to Tainan, the Ministry of Environment warned.

Gusts over 88 kilometers per hour have been recorded in outlying Penghu County, causing challenging sea conditions and resulting in Nanhai Star ferry routes between the Penghu islands being suspended for the third day.

The cold wave could also bring icy roads and rime ice on high mountains in northern regions, the CWA said. There is also a chance of more snow in areas 1,500 meters above sea level, it added.

Rime ice was seen early Friday morning on Yushan, also known as Jade Mountain, according to the CWA.

Snow was also seen by tourists on Taipingshan (Taiping Mountain), Yilan County, late Thursday night. The eastern peak of Xueshan (Xue Mountain) also saw snow Friday morning, the CWA added.

Meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said Friday that the cold air will abate slightly from daytime Saturday into Sunday, with the possibility of showers in northern areas.

However, the cold mass will strengthen again from Sunday night into Tuesday, bringing stable but cold weather in the early morning and late at night, Wu said.