Weather front to bring rain, thunderstorms to Taiwan this week

Taipei, May 12 (CNA) Weather conditions across Taiwan could become unstable starting Tuesday as a frontal system develops, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) has forecast.

The weather is expected to turn more unsettled Tuesday as a weather front forms over southern China and brings moisture to Taiwan, according to the CWA.

The agency forecast brief localized showers in Hualien County, Taitung County, parts of central Taiwan, and the northeast on Tuesday, while other regions are expected to remain mostly cloudy.

The mountainous areas of southern Taiwan could also see brief afternoon thunderstorms, the CWA said.

CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said the rain is expected to become more pronounced on Wednesday and Thursday, with intermittent rain and thunderstorms forecast for northern Taiwan.

As the weather front moves south on Friday, rainfall is expected to shift toward central and southern Taiwan, while other regions could experience scattered brief showers or thunderstorms, according to the CWA.

The front is forecast to move away over the weekend.

According to independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮), weather conditions in Taiwan are expected to stabilize and turn warmer after the weather front moves south toward the Bashi Channel.

But brief showers or thunderstorms could still occur in parts of central and southern Taiwan, he said.

Temperatures from Tuesday through Friday are expected to range between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius in northern Taiwan and 28 to 30 degrees in central and southern Taiwan, the CWA forecast.

In Tainan and low-lying areas at the foothills of mountains in Pingtung County, however, the mercury could reach highs exceeding 36 degrees, Tseng said.

Temperatures across Taiwan are likely to rise above 30 degrees from Saturday through Monday after the front departs, he said.