TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Northern Taiwan will experience a sudden temperature drop as a cold front sweeps across the region Tuesday (Jun 3) afternoon through Wednesday, meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) cautioned in his daily weather briefing. Wu urged residents to prepare for potentially severe weather conditions as the system moves southward. The veteran forecaster, citing the latest European weather model simulations, noted that central and southern Taiwan would see scattered showers or thunderstorms during the morning and early afternoon hours before the front's arrival.
The weather system will continue its southward trajectory on Thursday, Wu explained, triggering localized showers and thunderstorms throughout Taiwan with precipitation becoming heavier during afternoon hours. From Friday through Sunday, the front will weaken and drift toward the Bashi Channel, the strait between Taiwan and the Philippines. This repositioning will allow temperatures across the island to climb gradually, though residents should still expect localized afternoon downpours and thunderstorms as humidity levels remain elevated.
The island will transition to summer-like conditions next week, with Wu forecasting significantly warmer temperatures from Monday through Thursday as a warm air mass settles over Taiwan. Despite the heat, residents should prepare for possible localized afternoon showers and thunderstorms typical of Taiwan's summer pattern. Wu also raised concerns about potential tropical weather development, noting that some computer models indicate a possible tropical disturbance forming in the South China Sea next week, though he emphasized that forecast models currently show disagreement, necessitating continued monitoring.
Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象署), the island's national meteorological agency, has already issued a heavy rain advisory early Tuesday morning as a stationary front combined with southwestern winds affects the southern Kaohsiung-Pingtung region and the offshore island of Matsu. The weather authority simultaneously released a dense fog advisory for Kinmen and Matsu, two Taiwan-controlled islands located near China's Fujian province, warning that visibility could deteriorate to less than 200 meters, creating hazardous conditions for maritime and air traffic in these strategic locations.
Precipitation data from the CWA's monitoring network showed that Beigan Township (北竿鄉) in Lienchiang County, part of the Matsu archipelago, had already recorded 56 millimeters of rainfall by 8 a.m. Tuesday, the highest measurement across all Taiwan-controlled territories. The significant accumulation underscores the intensity of the weather system currently affecting Taiwan's northern offshore islands, with authorities continuing to monitor rainfall totals as the front approaches the main island. ◼