Snow falls on Taiwan's tallest mountain

Taipei, Dec. 20 (CNA) A combination of increased moisture and low temperatures resulted Saturday in snowfall on Yushan, Taiwan's tallest mountain, for the second time this season, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

As the temperature dipped to 1 degree Celsius, snow started to fall at around 5:45 a.m. on the 3,952-meter peak, also known as Jade Mountain, the CWA said.

After the mercury rose to 2 degrees, the snowfall stopped at around 7:50 a.m., leaving an accumulated 2.5 centimeters on the mountain, which is the tallest in Taiwan, the CWA said.

At 9:05 a.m., snow started falling on the mountain again and had not stopped as of press time, CWA data showed.

It is the second snowfall on Yushan in this season, after the first one in November, according to the CWA.

Meanwhile, daytime temperatures in low-lying areas of Taiwan are expected to range between 23 and 24 degrees Saturday, before a northeasterly wind system moves in at night, pushing the mercury down to 17-19 degrees, according to the CWA.

Some brief showers are likely in low-lying areas Saturday morning, the CWA said.

Seasonal winds will bring slightly cooler temperatures of 20-23 degrees in northern Taiwan on Sunday, while the mercury is expected to hover around 26-27 degrees in central and southern areas, the CWA said.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) warned of a big drop in nighttime temperatures as the seasonal winds move in, forecasting lows of 13 degrees over the next couple days.

On Saturday, the air quality across most of Taiwan was fair to good, according to the Ministry of Environment.

However, an "orange" air quality alert was in effect Saturday for parts of Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County in the south, as well as for the Kinmen and Matsu islands, warning of unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or heart problems.