Weather front will bring rain but highs could hit 32°C Saturday

Taipei, April 12 (CNA) A weather front is expected to arrive in Taiwan on Saturday and will bring moisture and rain around the island, while daytime temperatures could reach as high as 32 degrees Celsius, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The CWA said with the weather front approaching, conditions are expected to turn unstable Saturday afternoon, with showers or even thunderstorms possible in the northern half of Taiwan and mountainous areas in the northeast and outlying Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu islands.

Along with the upcoming weather front, a northeasterly seasonal wind system is expected to gather momentum from Saturday night through early Sunday morning, while heavier precipitation is possible in western Taiwan, the CWA said.

Despite the possible rain, the CWA said, daytime temperatures on the back of strong southwesterly winds are expected to remain high and hit as much as 32 degrees Celsius Saturday, and the mercury could climb even higher in the southeastern part of Taiwan due to Foehn winds -- warm and dry gusts that descend from the sheltered side of mountains into valleys.

The CWA said temperatures are expected to range between 19-22 degrees Celsius around Taiwan at night, urging people to keep alert over a wide daytime-night temperature gap.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said the weather front will pass through Taiwan very quickly and leave the island early Sunday morning.

Wu said dry weather is likely from Monday to Wednesday, with temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius in southern Taiwan, while a high-pressure system is expected to keep temperatures high from Thursday to Friday to give Taiwan summer-like weather.

He said, however, radiation cooling, which occurs under clear skies, light winds and dry conditions, is expected to push down the mercury from Monday to Wednesday with temperatures likely to dip to as low as 12 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, the air quality across most of Taiwan was fair to good on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Environment.

However, an "orange" alert was issued for some areas in central Taiwan, indicating unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups such as the elderly, children, and people with cardiac or respiratory conditions, the ministry said.