Northeasterly winds to cool northern Taiwan on Saturday: CWA

Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) Temperatures in cities and counties north of Taoyuan and in Yilan County in the northeast are expected to edge lower Saturday due to renewed northeasterly winds, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Friday.

From Saturday to early Sunday, the temperatures of those areas could be 3 to 5 degrees Celsius lower compared to Friday's temperatures, the CWA forecast.

On Friday, daytime highs around Taiwan will range between 30 and 33 degrees, the CWA said.

Temperatures in other cities and counties and in Taiwan's outlying islands will drop by 1 to 2 degrees compared to Friday, the CWA forecast, with temperature highs in the northern and northeastern parts of Taiwan hitting around 28 degrees.

Hualien and Taitung in eastern Taiwan could see highs of 30 degrees, while the central and southern parts of Taiwan could see temperatures up to 32 degrees, the CWA said.

The slightly lower temperatures will be accompanied by rain around Taiwan on Saturday, especially in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Yilan.

Those locations could see intermittent showers while Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Hualien and Taitung could see sporadic rain.

Thundershowers could also be experienced Saturday afternoon in southern Taiwan and mountainous locations in central Taiwan, the agency said.

The CWA also indicated that swells and winds will strengthen on Saturday.

Open areas between Taoyuan and Yunlin, on the Hengchun Peninsula, on Orchid Island and Green Island off Taiwan's southeastern coast, and around the outlying islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu could be battered by level 9-10 gale-force winds on the Beaufort scale, which the agency uses to measure wind strength.

Open areas along the coast of Keelung in the north as well as the coastal areas of Chiayi and Tainan could also experience strong winds, the CWA said.

Meanwhile, swells could measure between 2 to 3.5 meters in waters north of Yunlin, along Taiwan's east coast, and near Taiwan's outlying islands.

The waters north of Penghu could see waves go above 4 meters, the CWA warned.