Cold surge warning issued for northern Taiwan for Friday

Taipei, Jan. 2 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has issued a "yellow" cold surge advisory for the cities and counties in northern and northeastern Taiwan, warning that temperatures in those areas could fall below 10 degrees Celsius on Friday.

The coldness advisory took effect for New Taipei, Keelung, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Yilan County and the outlying Kinmen County on Friday morning and will remain in effect through the night amid a strong continental cold air mass, the CWA said.

Temperatures in parts of the affected areas could drop below 10 degrees through Friday night, the agency warned.

According to CWA data, as of 9:46 a.m., the lowest temperatures recorded in low-lying areas around the country early Friday morning were in the outlying Lienchiang County (Matsu Islands) -- 8.3 degrees in Dongyin Township and 9.2 degrees in Beigan Township.

The lowest temperatures on Taiwan were 9.3 degrees in New Taipei's Shimen District and 9.6 degrees in New Taipei's Wugu District.

For Friday, the CWA has forecast cold weather across Taiwan with brief showers expected in areas north of Taoyuan and in northeastern Taiwan, while isolated brief showers will be seen in the east and southeast as well as the Hengchun Peninsula.

Scattered showers are also possible in mountainous parts of the Hsinchu and Miaoli areas and central Taiwan, it forecast.

Other parts of Taiwan as well as the outlying Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu islands will see mostly cloudy to sunny skies, the CWA said.

Temperature-wise, the CWA forecast daytime highs on Friday of 13-14 degrees in northern Taiwan, 16-18 degrees in central Taiwan and Hualien, and 19-22 degrees in the south and Taitung.

Temperatures will fall as low as 10-12 degrees in areas north of central Taiwan and in Yilan and 13-15 degrees in the south and in Hualien and Taitung counties, the CWA said.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮), meanwhile, said the strongest cold air mass so far this winter will blanket Taiwan from Friday through Sunday morning, with temperatures in low-lying areas potentially falling below 7 degrees Celsius.

The cold air is expected to weaken during the day Sunday through Monday evening, before the weather turns clear and cold on Tuesday afternoon as another strong cold air mass moves southward, Wu said.