Rain to ease across Taiwan Saturday, intensify again early next week

Taipei, June 5 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Friday that rainfall is expected to ease across most of Taiwan Saturday, although localized heavy rain is still forecast in western parts of the country.

On Friday evening, the agency issued heavy rain and extremely heavy rain advisories for eight areas across Taiwan, including Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, and mountainous areas of New Taipei, Tainan, Nantou County, Yunlin County and Chiayi County.

Localized heavy rain is also possible in areas north of Hsinchu, as well as Nantou, Tainan, Yilan and Taitung, and other mountainous regions.

According to the CWA, the advisories will remain in effect through early Saturday morning.

The CWB defines heavy rain as accumulated rainfall of 80 millimeters or more within a 24-hour period or 40 mm or more in an hour, while extremely heavy rain refers to accumulated rainfall of 200 mm or more within 24 hours.

CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said Saturday would likely be the "calmest day of the coming week" as the low-pressure system gradually moves away. However, isolated heavy showers could still occur in western Taiwan.

A new weather front is expected to develop over southern China on Sunday, while Taiwan remains under the influence of a low-pressure belt, Lin said.

He said central and southern Taiwan may experience scattered afternoon thunderstorms, while other regions are expected to see mostly cloudy skies with localized afternoon showers and thunderstorms.

In eastern Taiwan, converging winds could bring brief but intense rainfall and potentially heavy rain on Sunday, Lin added.

Lin said the weather front is expected to approach Taiwan on Monday. As southwesterly winds strengthen, central Taiwan is likely to experience intermittent showers or thunderstorms, with rainfall expected to be more pronounced than on Sunday.

Temperatures are expected to climb before the weather front arrives, with daytime highs reaching 33-34 degrees Celsius in northern Taiwan, around 34 degrees in central Taiwan, and 32-33 degrees in the south, Lin said.

Once the front passes and rainfall increases, temperatures will fall, Lin added. Highs are forecast to drop to 26-28 degrees in northern Taiwan, 27-28 degrees in central Taiwan, and around 29-30 degrees in the south.