Warm Sunday to give way to chilly weather next week: CWA

Taipei, Jan. 18 (CNA) Taiwan will see mostly warm weather on Sunday, with colder and wetter conditions expected next week as a strong continental cold air mass moves in, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.

The CWA said Sunday's weather will be influenced by northeasterly winds. Windward areas, including the northern coast, Greater Taipei, eastern Taiwan, the Hengchun Peninsula, and northern mountainous regions, may see scattered showers, while other parts will be mostly cloudy to sunny.

Daytime highs are forecast at 22-24 degrees in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25-28 degrees in central and southern regions.

However, nighttime lows will dip to around 15-16 degrees in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17-19 degrees elsewhere.

The CWA also warned of strong northeasterly winds, with coastal areas from Taoyuan to Tainan, Taitung, the Hengchun Peninsula, as well as Penghu, Green Island, and Orchid Island are likely to experience sustained winds of 41-51 kilometers per hour or gusts of up to 63-75 kph.

Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently east of the Philippines, is forecast to remain over the waters east of the country and poses no direct threat to Taiwan, the CWA said.

Starting on Monday, conditions are expected to become more unsettled as the northeasterly system strengthens and moisture increases, raising the chance of rain along the northern coast and mountainous areas of Greater Taipei. Areas north of Taoyuan and eastern Taiwan may also see brief showers, according to the CWA.

The CWA said a strong cold air mass will arrive on Tuesday, causing temperatures to fall sharply, especially in northern Taiwan, where conditions will become increasingly wet and cold.

Independent meteorologist Wu De-rong (吳德榮) said that from Wednesday through Friday, the cold air mass is likely to linger and reach the level of a "strong continental cold air mass," defined as Taipei station temperatures dropping below 12 degrees.

Lowest temperatures in low-lying areas could fall to around 8 degrees, Wu said.

Snow is possible on mountains above 3,000 meters, such as at Hehuanshan and Xueshan, while areas around 2,000 meters may see sleet or rime ice, he added.

The cold air mass is expected to weaken starting next Saturday, with daytime temperatures rebounding, but mornings and evenings remaining cool, Wu said.