TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The northeast monsoon intensified on Monday (Dec. 8), bringing brief showers to northern and eastern Taiwan. Meteorologist Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) noted in his Facebook post that the monsoon will weaken slightly on Tuesday (Dec. 9), but an easterly wind shift will still cause sporadic rain in Greater Taipei, Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, and the Hengchun Peninsula, with Yilan expecting more significant rainfall.
Wu explained that brief showers will continue in eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun (恆春) Peninsula on Wednesday (Dec. 10), while Greater Taipei and western Taiwan will enjoy clear to partly cloudy skies. Daytime temperatures in the north, northeast, and east are set to rise to 24-28 degrees Celsius. He cautioned that the northeast monsoon will strengthen again on Thursday (Dec. 11) afternoon, increasing rainfall along the north coast, northeast corner, Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, and the Hengchun Peninsula, with daytime highs of 24-28 degrees Celsius and highs in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area reaching 29 degrees or above.
Wu noted a new frontal system will form over the northeastern seas of Taiwan from Friday (Dec. 12) evening to Saturday (Dec. 13) morning, marking the arrival of a cold air mass over the weekend. Wu predicted a shift to wet and cold weather on Saturday (Dec. 13) afternoon as a shortwave trough approaches northern Taiwan, strengthening the monsoon and bringing rain to the north, east, and Hengchun Peninsula.
Meanwhile, Wu also noted that by Dec. 14, the weather is expected to turn dry, with sunny to partly cloudy skies, but temperatures will drop. Northern Taiwan will see daytime highs of 16-18 degrees Celsius, while central and eastern regions will experience 20-23 degrees. He analyzed that from Dec. 14 night to Dec. 15 morning, urban areas in the north and northeast will see lows of 14-16 degrees Celsius, with open areas dropping to 10-13 degrees.