TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Meteorologist Peng Chi-ming warned Tuesday (Feb. 6) that Taiwan will see gloomy and rainy weather from the eve of the Lunar New Year on Thursday to New Year's Day on Friday.
The weather should improve from Feb. 10 through Feb. 12.
Peng noted that windward areas including Taoyuan, the Greater Taipei, Keelung's North Coast, the eastern parts of Yilan and Hualien, and the Hengchun Peninsula are most likely to receive rainfall today due to the impact of the northeast monsoon.
The central and southern mountainous areas may witness sporadic showers with more cloud coverage in the plains.
The southwestern monsoon will intensify rainfall north of Taichung and in Yilan from Tuesday night until Wednesday. Sporadic rain will also occur briefly across the island, with the northern and northeastern mountainous areas receiving the most rain.
Between the eve of the Lunar New Year and New Year's Day, due to the saturated southwestern monsoon, the entire island will see showers and heavy rain, especially in the central and northern regions, Yilan and Hualien.
Rainfall will gradually decrease from the evening of Feb. 8, but showers may potentially occur throughout the day on Feb. 9.
Beginning on New Year's Day, Peng forecasted, the weather will gradually improve with the western half of Taiwan turning partly cloudy to sunny. However, the eastern half will still see an increased amount of clouds with occasional showers.
Weather conditions are expected to enhance further from the second to the third day of the Lunar New Year, potentially resulting in clear skies in the western half and partly cloudy to clear skies in the eastern half.
In terms of temperatures, the north, northeast, and mountain regions will see the coldest weather on New Year's Day, with lows between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius.
The southern and eastern regions of Hualien and Taitung will experience lows of 12 to 14 degrees, with temperatures slowly warming thereafter.