2 weather fronts to bring rain across Taiwan this week: CWA

Taipei, May 4 (CNA) Two weather fronts are expected to affect Taiwan this week, bringing showers and thunderstorms across the island, with northern Taiwan likely to see heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Combined with strengthening northeasterly winds, the first of the two weather fronts will bring heavy rain to northern Taiwan and localized showers or thunderstorms elsewhere on Monday, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said.

Daytime temperatures will fall slightly in northern Taiwan on Monday, ranging from 22-25 degrees Celsius, but will remain above 30 degrees in central and southern regions, he said.

The mercury will drop Monday night into Tuesday morning to lows of 18-19 degrees in northern Taiwan, around 20 degrees in central Taiwan, and 23-24 degrees in the south, according to Liu.

After the front passes, the rain will ease slightly, but brief showers are still likely around Taiwan, with possibly heavier rainfall in central and northern areas, Liu said.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the northeasterly winds will weaken, giving way to sunny to partly cloudy skies across most of Taiwan, although mountainous areas may still see brief afternoon showers, he said.

Temperatures are also expected to rebound, with highs of 27-28 degrees in northern Taiwan and over 30 degrees in central and southern regions on Wednesday, then soaring above 30 degrees across Taiwan on Thursday, according to Liu.

Another front is forecast to arrive on Friday, accompanied by slightly stronger northeasterly winds, bringing brief showers to central, northern, and eastern Taiwan, and possible afternoon thunderstorms to the south, lasting into Saturday, Liu said.

On Sunday, Mother's Day, strengthening northeasterly winds are expected to bring brief showers to northern and eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula, while other regions are forecast to see mostly cloudy to sunny skies with isolated afternoon showers, he said.

The northeasterly winds will also lower temperatures in northern Taiwan slightly to 26-27 degrees in the daytime, and 21-22 degrees at night nationwide, Liu said.

He also warned that low clouds or fog could reduce visibility in the outlying Matsu Islands from Wednesday evening through Friday morning.