Cold surge advisories issued Friday for northern, central Taiwan

Taipei, Jan. 10 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued cold surge advisories for the northern part of Taiwan on Friday as persistent low temperatures are expected.

"Orange alerts," which warn of sustained temperatures around or below 10 degrees Celsius, or dropping below 6 degrees, have been issued for Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Keelung City, Hsinchu County and Yilan County, the CWA said.

"Yellow alerts" warning of the minimum temperature dropping below 10 degrees have been issued for Taichung as well as Miaoli, Changhua, Nantou and Yunlin counties. The CWA said these areas may also experience a significant day-night temperature difference.

Daytime highs will hover at 12-14 degrees in northern Taiwan, and reach 17-21 degrees in central Taiwan, southern Taiwan, Hualien County and Taitung County, said the CWA.

Meanwhile, temperatures will range between 13-15 degrees in Penghu, 9-14 degrees in Kinmen and 7-8 degrees in Matsu, according to the CWA.

The CWA also forecast sporadic showers in Taoyuan and areas further north, the Hengchun Peninsula, eastern Taiwan and mountainous regions in western Taiwan.

The CWA added that there is also a chance of snow in mountainous areas higher than 2,000 meters in the north and northeast, and those higher than 2,500m in central Taiwan.

The CWA also warned of strong winds along the coast from Taoyuan to Yunlin and the Hengchun Peninsula, as well as in the outlying Penghu, Matsu, Orchid Island and Green Island. Gusts up to 75 kilometers per hour are expected.

Other parts of the country will also likely see strong winds, the CWA said.

At the weather station in Yushan, also known as Jade Mountain, around 0.5 centimeters of snow fell between 7:20 a.m. and 8:05 a.m., the CWA said, warning of icy road conditions in mountainous areas.

The lowest temperature recorded in low-lying areas so far on Friday morning was 7.9 degrees in New Taipei's Shiding District, according to the CWA.