Low of 6.8°C recorded in Miaoli's Gongguan amid strong cold air mass

Taipei, Dec. 29 (CNA) The lowest temperature in a low-lying area in Taiwan recorded early Sunday morning was in Miaoli County's Gongguan Township, at 6.8 degrees Celsius, due to a strong cold air mass and the effect of radiation cooling, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.

In other areas, Chiayi's East District in southern Taiwan recorded a low of 8.2 degrees and Yunlin's Huwei Township saw temperatures drop to 8.5 degrees, CWA data showed.

The cold air mass was at its strongest between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday.

It brought down temperatures to 9-11 degrees in areas from New Taipei in northern Taiwan to the southernmost county of Pingtung as well as Yilan County in the northeast and the outlying Kinmen and Matsu islands, according to the CWA.

Lows of 7-9 degrees were recorded in some open areas and low-lying foothills near mountains.

Meanwhile, Taipei, Hualien, and Taitung saw temperatures dip to 12 or 13 degrees during the early morning on Sunday.

The CWA has also issued cold advisories for most of Taiwan, including Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, Yilan, Hualien and Kinmen, warning that temperatures could drop to around 10 degrees or below from Sunday night through Monday morning.

However, with the strength of a continental cold air mass gradually easing, daytime temperatures on Sunday will rise to 21-23 degrees in central and southern Taiwan, 16-19 degrees in northern Taiwan as well as Yilan and Hualien in the east.

The mercury will drop sharply after nightfall, with lows of 11-13 degrees forecast in areas north of Tainan and Yilan, and 14-16 degrees in other areas of Taiwan proper.

The outlying Penghu islands can expect to see temperatures of 13-17 degrees, Kinmen 10-15 degrees and Matsu 9-11 degrees.

The weather will be sunny to cloudy in all parts of Taiwan on Sunday, including Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, with only sporadic brief rain expected in the eastern half of Taiwan's main island, according to the CWA.

Meanwhile, due to strong northeasterly winds, the CWA warned of possible powerful gusts along coastal areas from Taoyuan to Yunlin and on the Hengchun Peninsula, Orchid and Green islands off Taiwan's southeastern coast, and Penghu, while the adjacent coastal areas can see waves up to 2-3 meters.

According to independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮), the weather will be dry and cold between Sunday and early Monday morning, with lows of below 10 degrees forecast for the early hours of Monday due to the strong continental cold air mass coupled with the effect of radiation cooling.

Northeasterly winds will strengthen slightly on New Year's Eve on Tuesday and New Year's Day, Wu said.

Largely sunny to cloudy skies will prevail in the western half of Taiwan, and there is a chance of scattered rain in some mountainous areas and the eastern half on New Year's Eve, according to Wu.

Starting from the daytime on January 1, 2025, brief showers are expected in the mountainous regions and the eastern half of Taiwan, with occasional rainfall in the low-lying areas of the western half. These weather conditions may not be ideal for viewing the first sunrise of the new year, Wu noted.

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