Northeast monsoon to bring lower temperatures to Taiwan this week: CWA

Taipei, Dec. 21 (CNA) Taiwan is expected to experience two waves of seasonal northeasterly winds this week, which will bring cooler temperatures and intermittent rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Sunday.

The first wave began affecting the country on Sunday and will continue through Monday, causing the mercury to drop in northern and northeastern Taiwan and bringing rain to those areas, the CWA said.

In other regions, cooler temperatures can be expected at night and early in the morning, the CWA said.

Temperatures on Sunday were forecast to range from 15 to 21 degrees in northern and northeastern Taiwan, 15 to 26 degrees in central Taiwan, 18 to 26 degrees in eastern Taiwan, and 17 to 27 degrees in southern Taiwan, the CWA said.

Sporadic showers were expected in northern and eastern Taiwan on Sunday, while central and southern regions were likely to be mostly cloudy to sunny, it said.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said the northeasterly winds will gradually turn drier on Monday, with rainfall easing in northern Taiwan.

Temperatures in low-lying areas across the island will drop to around 13 degrees early Monday, he said.

As the winds weaken on Tuesday, the weather nationwide will mostly clear and temperatures will rebound slightly, he forecast.

A second, stronger wave of northeasterly winds is expected to arrive Wednesday afternoon and will last through Saturday, bringing cooler and wetter conditions to northern and eastern Taiwan, according to the CWA.

Wu said that during that period, northern Taiwan will be persistently cool and damp, while central and southern regions will see increased cloud cover and slightly lower temperatures.

Scattered showers may fall in mountainous areas of central and southern Taiwan on Thursday and Friday, with a chance of snowfall at elevations above 3,200 meters, he said.