TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's central and northern regions recorded temperatures between 10 to 14 degrees Celsius (50°F to 57°F) on Tuesday (Dec. 16) morning due to radiative cooling effects. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) said the overnight cooling hit coastal, open-terrain, mountainous, basin, and inland areas hardest. The phenomenon occurs when heat escapes rapidly from the Earth's surface under clear skies, causing sharp temperature drops overnight.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象局) warned that the northeast monsoon will strengthen slightly on Wednesday (Dec. 17), bringing brief showers to Keelung's northern coast and northeastern areas. Daytime highs will climb to 24 to 27 degrees Celsius (75°F to 81°F) in central, northern, northeastern, and eastern regions, with southern Taiwan reaching 26 to 28 degrees Celsius (79°F to 82°F). Western Taiwan faces dramatic temperature swings, with daily differences potentially exceeding 10 to 14 degrees Celsius (18°F to 25°F).
Chia Hsin-hsing (賈新興), director of Taiwan Integrated Disaster Prevention of Technology Engineering and Consulting (台灣整合防災工程技術顧問公司), said solar radiation causes rapid daytime warming, while nighttime cooling remains highly efficihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsFvQSXdt5Ment. Meteorologist Lin cautioned that temperature swings exceeding 10 degrees Celsius (18°F) trigger frequent blood vessel constriction and dilation. Such fluctuations pose elevated health risks for elderly residents and individuals with cardiovascular conditions, authorities warned.
The northeast monsoon will intensify on Thursday (Dec. 18), bringing brief rainfall to the northern coast, northeastern areas, eastern regions, and Greater Taipei's mountainous zones. Conditions ease by Friday (Dec. 19) as the monsoon weakens, pushing temperatures slightly higher in the north and northeast. Cloud systems advancing northward from southern Taiwan will deliver scattered showers to southern, eastern, and southeastern areas. ◼