Seasonal winds to drive mercury down over coming days: CWA

Taipei, Dec. 10 (CNA) The weather in northern and northeastern Taiwan will be wet and cool due to strengthening seasonal winds, starting Wednesday evening and continuing until Friday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Tuesday.

On Wednesday morning, cool temperatures are expected nationwide before the mercury climbs during the day, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) told CNA.

As northeasterly winds begin to strengthen on Wednesday evening and last through Thursday and Friday across Taiwan, temperatures are likely to fall to 15-22 degrees Celsius in the north and 16-28 degrees in central and southern parts of the country, Huang said.

The Keelung north coast, mountainous areas of Taipei and New Taipei and eastern regions will see isolated rain on Wednesday, while scattered and brief showers will extend to Taoyuan and Hsinchu over the following two days, Huang added.

A continental cold air mass is forecast to arrive in Taiwan on Saturday and will blanket the whole country until next Monday, Huang said, adding that the weather system is gaining momentum and could increase in strength.

He forecast that the cold air mass will impact Taiwan most on the morning of Sunday and Monday, bringing lows of 11-13 degrees in Yilan and regions north of Taichung, while temperatures below 10 degrees are forecast for some parts in Hsinchu and Miaoli due to radiative cooling effects.

The cold air mass will start to weaken on Monday and Tuesday, and highs in northern Taiwan are likely to rise to 20-21 degrees, with lows dropping to 16-17 degrees, he said.

According to Huang, the next wave of northeasterly winds could approach Taiwan after Dec. 18.