Eastern Taiwan swelters as temperatures near 36 degrees

Taipei, March 5 (CNA) Eastern Taiwan's Hualien and Taitung counties experienced unseasonably high temperatures approaching 36 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The temperature spike saw the CWA issue a "yellow" heat warning for the two counties, on a day when warm-to-hot weather was palpable across Taiwan.

Temperatures in Taitung's Taimali Township reached 35.8 degrees, with the mercury in Hualien's Guangfu County hitting 35.6 degrees at round 2 p.m., the CWA said.

The mercury in Kaohsiung's Shanlin District reached 33.3 degrees, while Wenshan District recorded the highest temperature in Taipei at 30.8 degrees.

The heat, however, is not expected to last. An approaching cold front and a southbound continental cold air mass is forecast to bring temperatures down below 20 degrees on Wednesday, the CWA's Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said.

Low temperatures will continue throughout the week until after Saturday, Lee said.