Warmer weather forecast for election day, mercury could hit 26 degrees

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) With seasonal northeasterly winds weakening, the weather around Taiwan is expected to remain stable and turn warmer on Saturday, the day of the presidential and legislative elections, with daytime temperatures likely to hit as high as 26 degrees Celsius, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

As many voters are heading to polling stations to cast their ballots Saturday, they are expected to see cloudy to sunny skies in most parts of Taiwan due to reduced moisture in the air, with only sporadic showers expected in northeastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula in the south, the CWA added.

According to the CWA, temperature highs in northern Taiwan could range between 22 and 23 degrees, with the mercury in the daytime forecast to hit 25-26 degrees in central and southern Taiwan.

The CWA, however, warned of a wide daytime-nighttime temperature gap. It forecast the mercury could dip to 11 degrees in the north and 13-15 degrees in central and southern Taiwan at night, and urged the public to keep warm.

The CWA said such effects are expected to reoccur late Saturday night through early Sunday morning.

Stable weather conditions in Taiwan are forecast to continue into Sunday before another round of seasonal winds set in on Monday, which will send temperature highs lower by 3-4 degrees in the north, the CWA said.

Meanwhile, the weakening seasonal wind system will make it harder to disperse pollutants in the air in western Taiwan on Saturday, the Ministry of Environment said.

According to the ministry, the air quality is expected to be "good" to "fair" in most of northern Taiwan, and the Penghu islands on Saturday.

However, the air quality index is expected to flash an "orange" warning in most of central and southern Taiwan as well as the Kinmen and Matsu islands, signaling unhealthy levels for sensitive groups, the ministry said.