CWA issues cold surge advisories for 20 cities, counties across Taiwan

Taipei, Feb. 7 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Friday issued multiday cold surge advisories for 20 out of 22 cities and counties in Taiwan.

"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, Taichung, Keelung City and Hsinchu City as well as Hsinchu, Miaoli, Changhua, Yilan and Hualien counties plus outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang counties, according to the CWA.

Meanwhile, "yellow alerts" warning of the minimum temperature dropping below 10 degrees have been issued for Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City as well as Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi and Taitung counties.

The CWA said these areas may also experience significant day-night temperature differences.

The only two places that did not receive a cold surge advisory are Pingtung and Penghu counties.

The CWA said due to an incoming cold spell, mercury will start to dip to cold surge advisory levels Friday afternoon before climbing back up next Monday.

Accompanying the cold snap are short showers in locations north of Taoyuan and the eastern half of the island.

Hsinchu and Miaoli and mountainous areas in the central and southern parts of Taiwan could also see sporadic rain, the CWA said, with cloudy weather in other areas.

In related news, the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) indicated that due to the effects of northeasterly winds, an orange air quality alert could be imposed on Kaohsiung and Pingtung County on Friday.

The ministry's air quality monitoring network indicated that an orange alert means that the air will be "unhealthy for sensitive groups" who are more prone to allergies.

The MOENV said pollutants and allergens could be carried to the island by northeasterly winds, and due to the central and southern parts of Taiwan located downwind, it is harder for such particles to disperse there.

The actual effects of the allergens would be determined by the severity of air pollution upwind and also the amount of rain that could purify the air.

There is also the possibility of air quality in Kaohsiung and Pingtung remaining orange on Saturday, according to the MOENV.