Heavier rain to cool mercury by 2-3°C Wednesday

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) Heavier rain is likely to send temperatures around Taiwan lower by 2-3 degrees Celsius as a strong low pressure system and southwesterly winds bring more moisture to Taiwan on Wednesday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The CWA said daytime temperatures are forecast to fall to 31-33 degrees in the north, 32 degrees in central Taiwan and 31 degrees in the south Wednesday.

Temperatures in Taitung County valley areas and the outlying Matsu Islands, however, could see temperature highs hitting 35 degrees in the day.

On Tuesday, Taitung recorded the day's high of 38 degrees due to foehn winds, referring to a downslope wind pattern that is typically dry and warm, according to the CWA.

An extremely heavy rain advisory has taken effect in Hsinchu City, Hsinchu and Miaoli counties in the north, Taichung City and Changhua and Yunlin counties in central Taiwan, Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung cities and Chiayi and Pingtung counties in the south, and the Matsu Islands.

Extremely heavy rain advisories refer to accumulated rainfall of more than 200 millimeters within a day, or more than 100 mm within a 3-hour period.

A heavy rain advisory, referring to accumulated rainfall of 80 mm or more within a 24-hour period or 40 mm or more in an hour, has been issued for Keelung City and the northern coast, Taipei, New Taipei and Taoyuan cities in the north and Nantou County in central Taiwan.

Due to possible flash showers or thundershowers, the CWA has warned of flash flooding in Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Pingtung.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said the current low pressure system, the result of the downgraded Typhoon Danas and its outer cloud band, combined with southwesterly winds led to unstable weather around Taiwan.

Such unstable weather is expected to continue into Friday and heavy thundershowers are possible in the afternoons, Wu said.

Wu said, however, that cloudy to sunny skies will return on Saturday despite brief showers in the afternoon and a summer-like scorching weather will come over the next couple of days.

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