Snow falls on Yushan as cold, wet weather grips Taiwan

Taipei, Feb. 1 (CNA) Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain), Taiwan's highest peak, on Sunday evening as a continental cold air mass combined with a cloud system from southern China, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The CWA said snowfall was observed at the Yushan Weather Station in Nantou County from around 5:20 p.m. By 6:40 p.m., temperatures at the station had dropped to 0.1 degrees Celsius, after reaching a daytime high of about 2 degrees earlier in the afternoon.

Cold and damp weather is expected to persist across Taiwan through Monday, with nighttime and early morning temperatures in low-lying areas dropping to around 13 degrees Celsius, the agency said.

The CWA also issued a heavy rain advisory for the Keelung north coast from Sunday night through early Monday, indicating possible rainfall of 80 millimeters or more in 24 hours or 40 mm in one hour.

CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said moisture levels will remain high overnight, with another round of rainfall expected in areas north of Taoyuan and in eastern Taiwan, while other regions are forecast to be mostly cloudy.

Weather conditions are expected to improve on Tuesday as the continental cold air mass weakens and winds shift easterly, reducing moisture levels. Only sporadic showers are forecast for the Keelung coast, mountainous areas of Greater Taipei and the Hengchun Peninsula.

Temperatures will rebound during the daytime on Tuesday, with highs in northern Taiwan rising above 20 degrees, Liu said.

From Wednesday to Friday, most of Taiwan is forecast to see partly cloudy to sunny weather during the day.

Highs in northern Taiwan are expected to range from 22 to 24 degrees, while central and southern regions could reach 25 to 26 degrees, with some areas peaking near 28 degrees.

Overnight lows nationwide during the period will hover around 15 degrees, with central and southern Taiwan facing day-to-night temperature differences of more than 10 degrees.

However, another cold front is forecast to approach late Friday. As a result, temperatures in northern Taiwan are expected to drop again on Saturday to between 13 and 17 degrees, with cooler conditions spreading southward by Saturday night into Sunday, the CWA said.