Weather to stay chilly in northern Taiwan as cold air mass lingers

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) The weather is expected to remain chilly across northern Taiwan on Friday and into Saturday as a lingering continental cold air mass continues to strengthen, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The rain seen in recent days will begin to ease during the day, but showers are likely in the eastern half of Taiwan, the coastal areas of Keelung and mountainous regions, while cloudy to sunny skies are forecast for other parts of Taiwan, the CWA said.

Temperature-wise, daytime highs of 15-18 degrees can be expected in the north and the east, and highs of 20-24 degrees will be seen in central and southern Taiwan, it said.

According to the CWA, the effects of the lingering cold air mass will be strongest from Friday night to Saturday morning.

Lows of 10 degrees in the north and east and 13-15 degrees elsewhere can be expected early Saturday, the weather administration said, and it forecast the possibility of snowfall in mountains with elevations higher than 3,500 meters.

The CWA has issued a yellow cold advisory for the cities of Keelung, Taipei and Taoyuan, as well as Hsinchu, Miaoli, Yilan and Kinmen counties, warning of brief lows below 10 degrees and significant day-night temperature differentials.

Meanwhile, an orange alert was issued for New Taipei, which signified sustained "very cold" weather of 10 degrees or below.

The cold air mass will begin to weaken Sunday before the arrival of another weather front combined with the strengthening of northeasterly winds on Monday, which are forecast to send temperatures down slightly across Taiwan, the CWA said.