Rain, cooler weather expected across Taiwan on Lantern Festival

Taipei, March 2 (CNA) Rain and cooler weather are expected across Taiwan during the Lantern Festival on Tuesday, when temperatures in the north could drop to around 14 degrees Celsius in the evening, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

A frontal system is expected to pass through Taiwan on Monday evening, followed by either seasonal northeasterly winds or a continental cold air mass that will bring wetter and cooler weather, CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) told CNA.

A cloud and rain system over southern China that is moving eastward is also expected to bring rain to most of Taiwan and make Tuesday the wettest day of the week, Lin said.

The wet weather means that people visiting Lantern Festival displays at venues across Taiwan will likely need to bring rain gear to keep themselves dry, according to Lin.

The Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, is when people traditionally gather outdoors to view lantern displays at festival venues across Taiwan.

In terms of temperatures, daytime highs in northern Taiwan are forecast to fall from about 26 degrees on Monday to around 16 to 17 degrees on Tuesday, with nighttime temperatures in low-lying areas expected to drop to about 14 degrees, Lin said.

Central Taiwan is expected to see lows of around 15 to 16 degrees, while lows in southern Taiwan will likely range between 17 and 19 degrees, Lin said.

A total lunar eclipse is also expected Tuesday evening, but Lin said it would be difficult to see because of high moisture levels and thick cloud cover across Taiwan.

If temperatures and moisture levels are favorable, he said, some mountains above 3,500 meters could see localized snowfall from Tuesday to Thursday, and he warned that road conditions in those areas could be icy.