Taiwan to warm up this weekend before cooler weather returns

Taipei, Dec. 6 (CNA) Taiwan is expected to see warmer temperatures on Saturday and Sunday before cooler weather returns beginning next week, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

As northeasterly winds weaken slightly over the next two days, daytime temperatures will gradually rise. However, there will be large day-night temperature differences, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said.

Highs of 25-27 degrees Celsius are forecast for Taiwan's western half on Saturday and Sunday, while other areas could see temperatures hover around 25-26 degrees, according to the CWA.

Most areas will see partly sunny to cloudy conditions on the weekend, with occasional showers possible in Greater Taipei, Yilan, and Hualien counties. At the same time, Taitung and the Hengchun Peninsula may experience brief, localized rain, Huang added.

On Monday and Tuesday, northeasterly winds are forecast to strengthen, though the cold air will be weak and short-lived, he said, noting that northern Taiwan and Yilan in the northeast may be slightly cooler.

On both days, brief showers or isolated heavy rainfall could occur in some areas around Taiwan, he added.

From Wednesday to Friday, the effect of seasonal winds is forecast to weaken as temperatures rise, with most areas seeing partly sunny to cloudy skies and scattered brief showers along the country's northern coast, Greater Taipei's mountainous areas, and some other regions, the forecaster added.

Meanwhile, independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said that based on European forecast models, the strongest cold air of the season is expected from Dec. 13-15, with temperatures in Taiwan's low-lying areas possibly dropping below 10 degrees.

Wu cautioned, however, that due to weather forecasting limitations, models will continue to be adjusted, and forecasts from different countries vary in intensity and timing, so it is still too early to draw firm conclusions.