Sleet, rime ice cover Taiwan's mountains

Taipei, Jan. 22 (CNA) Intermittent sleet fell on Hehuanshan in central Taiwan on Thursday, while rime ice formed early in the morning on Yushan (Jade Mountain), local authorities said.

The Highway Bureau and the Central Weather Administration (CWA) warned the public of potentially icy road conditions.

To ensure safety, sections of Provincial Highway 14A and Provincial Highway 8 on Hehuanshan will be preemptively closed from 5 p.m., allowing only outbound traffic, the Highway Bureau's Central Region Branch said.

Road conditions will be reassessed at 8 a.m. Friday, when authorities will decide whether to fully reopen the roads or restrict access to vehicles equipped with snow chains, it added. A winding stretch of Provincial Highway 14A between the 31.7- and 32.7-kilometer marks will remain closed in both directions.

The CWA said snowfall is possible in mountainous areas above 3,000 meters nationwide and above 2,000 meters in northern Taiwan.

As of 11:42 a.m., the lowest temperature recorded Thursday was minus 6.8 degrees Celsius at the Yushanfengkou weather station, according to CWA data.