Mercury forecast to hit 29°C Monday; cloudy to sunny skies to prevail

Taipei, Nov. 24 (CNA) Daytime temperatures in parts of Taiwan are expected to rise to 29 degrees Celsius on Monday, while the skies will remain mostly sunny across much of the country, as summer-like weather continues, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Highs on Monday will range between 26 and 29 degrees, but the temperature is likely to drop sharply at night to around 16-21 degrees as seasonal northeasterly winds strengthen, the CWA said, advising the public to be aware of the temperature gap.

During the day, the skies across Taiwan will be sunny to cloudy, with occasional showers in Keelung City and other northern coastal areas, the CWA said. During the night, the strengthening seasonal winds will bring brief showers to the windward side of Yilan County and the Greater Taipei area, the CWA added.

The CWA warned of dense fog in the southern city of Tainan, urging drivers to be cautious, as visibility was reduced to less than 200 meters.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said Monday that with the strengthening of the seasonal winds, cooler temperatures and some rain can be expected in northern and eastern Taiwan on Tuesday.

The system is likely to weaken on Wednesday, allowing more stable weather conditions in the northern part of the country, but by Thursday another system will approach, he said.

On Friday, western Taiwan is expected to see a fall in temperatures resulting from radiational cooling, which occurs under conditions of clear skies, light winds, and dry weather, Wu said.

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

Parts of Yunlin, Chiayi, and Pingtung counties and Tainan and Kaohsiung cities in the south were under an "orange" air quality alert Monday, which warned of unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or heart problems.