Sunny weather expected for much of Taiwan until Thursday: CWA

Taipei, Dec. 16 (CNA) The sunny weather seen across Taiwan on Tuesday will give way to clouds and sporadic rain in the north on Wednesday and throughout Taiwan later in the week as temperatures inch higher, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) has forecast.

Day-night temperature differences remained high Tuesday, with the mercury falling below 10 degrees Celsius in parts of northern Taiwan before rebounding during the day, CWA data showed.

The lowest temperatures recorded in Taiwan's low-lying areas early Tuesday was 9.1 degrees in Guanxi Township in Hsinchu County and 9.6 degrees in Lunbei Township in Yunlin County, according to CWA data.

Daytime highs on Tuesday are expected to hit 23-26 degrees in northern Taiwan, 24-25 degrees in central Taiwan, and 24-27 degrees in the south, the agency predicted.

Temperatures will once again tumble early Wednesday morning, with the lowest readings again expected in the Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli areas, before returning to highs to 23-24 degrees during the day, according to CWA forecasts.

The weather will turn cloudy in eastern Taiwan and areas north of Hsinchu County (including the Greater Taipei area) on Wednesday, with brief showers and localized heavy rainfall expected, the CWA said.

That trend will continue Thursday, according to the CWA, with some clouds moving in to parts of central and southern Taiwan.

The easing of seasonal northeasterly winds, however, will take the sting out of the coolest temperatures seen in the previous days, with general overnight lows rising to about 16-17 degrees on Thursday, from 13-14 degrees Tuesday and Wednesday.

As the weekend approaches, a southern cloud system will move northward, bringing cloudy and rainy weather to all of Taiwan on Friday and Saturday, the CWA forecast.

Temperatures in the north will remain in a narrow range of 17-23 degrees throughout the two days, but show wider day-night differences of 17-27 degrees in central Taiwan and 18-28 degrees in the south, CWA data showed.

Another surge of seasonal northeasterly winds is forecast for Sunday, bringing cooler weather to northern and northeastern Taiwan, with other regions also feeling cooler in the mornings and evenings, the CWA said.

By Monday, weather conditions are expected to turn drier and cooler, with daytime highs falling to 19 degrees in the north, 23 degrees in central Taiwan, 26 degrees in the south, and 22 degrees in the east.

Only northern and northeastern Taiwan are forecast to see cloudy weather with chances of sporadic rain on Monday, according to CWA forecasts.