Yushan, Hehuanshan see ice pellets due to strong cold air mass

Taipei, March 2 (CNA) Two of Taiwan's tallest peaks Yushan and Hehuanshan were hit with ice pellets Saturday morning due to the influence of an ongoing strong continental cold air mass, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The CWA said the ice pellets fell on Taiwan's tallest mountain, Yushan (3,952 meters), and Hehuanshan (3,417 meters), due to increasing moisture and low temperatures.

Despite the ice pellets, the CWA said traffic conditions in these areas remained normal.

The CWA added that moisture in the air was expected to reduce Saturday night and that the chance of seeing snow in mountainous areas was on the decline.

The Longtan and Guishan districts of Taoyuan City in northern Taiwan recorded the lowest temperature, 8.5 degrees Celsius, of all low-lying areas in Taiwan proper early Saturday morning, the CWA said.

Furthermore, a low of 8.8 degrees was recorded in Shiding District early Saturday morning, New Taipei; 8.9 degrees was logged in Shimen District, New Taipei; 10.8 degrees in Taipei City; and 11 degrees in Keelung City, the CWA said.

The CWA said temperatures on early Saturday morning ranged between 12 and 13 degrees in central and eastern Taiwan and 14-16 degrees in the south and southeast.

In the wake of the cold air mass, the CWA has issued an "orange" warning, which means sustained "very cold" weather of 10 degrees or less was forecast for New Taipei, Keelung, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu cities, and Hsinchu and Miaoli counties in the north, Yilan County in the northeast and the outlying Kinmen islands and Lienchiang County.

In addition, a yellow warning was put into effect in Taichung City, Changhua, and Nantou counties in central Taiwan, meaning the lows in the lowlying areas of these counties and city could dip below 10 degrees, according to the CWA.

During the daytime, highs are expected to be between 12 and 14 degrees in northern and northeastern Taiwan, 16-18 degrees in central Taiwan and Hualien County in the east, and 20-21 degrees in the south, the CWA said.

In addition to the cold air mass, the CWA said, Taiwan has also been affected by cloud cover moving across from southern China, meaning wet weather is likely on Saturday.

A heavy rain alert is in effect in Keelung, Taipei, and New Taipei, meaning there is expected to be 80 mm of accumulated rainfall in a day or 40 mm in an hour, the CWA said.

The CWA said the cold air mass is forecast to weaken Sunday, with daytime temperatures expected to hit 20-21 degrees in northern Taiwan, and Yilan and Hualien in the east, and 23-26 degrees elsewhere in the country.