Mercury forecast to drop to 15°C this week in Taiwan

Taipei, Nov. 17 (CNA) Temperatures in some parts of Taiwan are expected to fall sharply to lows of 15 degrees Celsius later this week, as seasonal northeasterly winds strengthen, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Monday.

It will be the strongest cold wave to affect northern Taiwan this autumn, while Chiayi County in the southwest and some parts of central Taiwan are likely to also see lower temperatures due to radiational cooling, which occurs under conditions of clear skies, light winds, and dry weather, according to the CWA.

Across Taiwan, temperatures will fall gradually this week, dropping to 15-16 degrees in the early hours of Wednesday and Thursday, but the wind system will begin to weaken by Friday, the CWA said.

According to independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮), the effects of the seasonal winds will be strongest in areas north of Miaoli County, with temperatures falling as low as 12 degrees in some parts of northern Taiwan.

Meanwhile, on Monday, temperatures in Yilan County and in areas north of Taoyuan City are expected to range between 25 and 26 degrees during the day and drop to 19-20 degrees at night, according to the CWA.

Due to the current seasonal winds, heavy rainfall of at least 80 millimeters over a 24-hour period is expected in Keelung and New Taipei cities in northern Taiwan, the CWA said in an advisory effective through Monday night.

Elsewhere in the country, brief showers are likely in Taoyuan, and in Hsinchu, Miaoli, and Hualien counties, while cloudy to sunny skies will prevail in central and southern Taiwan on Monday, the CWA said.

Due to dense fog in some regions, however, a low-visibility warning has been issued for areas between Yunlin County and Kaohsiung City in the south, and drivers are advised to stay alert, according to the CWA.