Seasonal winds to bring cooler weather to northern Taiwan

Taipei, April 5 (CNA) Daytime highs in northern Taiwan will tumble by 6-7 degrees Celsius on Friday due to ongoing northeasterly winds, but the south will remain scorching hot, with temperatures of up to 36 degrees still forecast.

The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said the cooler air being brought by the weather system would result in temperature highs of 22-24 degrees, down from around 30 degrees on Thursday, and lead to sporadic showers Friday.

In the south, the CWA has issued a heat advisory, expecting temperatures to reach as high as 36 degrees under sunny skies.

An "orange" heat alert was issued for Chiayi County, Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County, signaling three consecutive days of potential 36-degree highs, the CWA said, noting that valleys and mountainous areas are expected to be particularly hot.

A "yellow" heat warning has been issued for Tainan City, indicating daily maximum temperature could reach 36 degrees, according to the CWA.

At night, temperatures are expected to fall to 20-23 degrees around Taiwan, the CWA said.

Strong winds are expected to affect the Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu islands Friday, while Kinmen could be affected by fog, and the agency urged people traveling to or from Kinmen to stay on the alert for possible changes in flight schedules.

Another round of seasonal winds is forecast to hit Taiwan on Saturday and continue to April 8, according to the CWA, which expected the new weather front to be stronger and deliver heavier rains around the island, the CWA said.

Echoing the CWA, Wu Der-rong (吳德榮), an adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University, said convection effects will be more evident in the coming days, triggering thunderstorm cells that could dump heavy rain on the northern and eastern parts of Taiwan.

Wu said those seasonal winds will be felt less starting on April 9, paving the way for stable weather conditions.