TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Central Weather Administration (CWA, 氣象署) issued a cold weather alert Friday (Jan. 9) as temperatures dropped below 6 degrees Celsius (42.8°F) in parts of northern Taiwan. Residents in Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, and Hsinchu County experienced the coldest conditions this morning due to radiative cooling. A second continental cold air mass will move southward starting Saturday evening (Jan. 10), bringing additional cold weather to northern and northeastern regions.
The CWA warned that the incoming cold front will bring scattered short-term rain along the northern coast of Keelung City, northern mountain areas, eastern regions, and the Hengchun Peninsula in southern Taiwan. Daytime temperatures showed a slight increase Friday, but the administration cautioned that conditions will deteriorate again by Saturday evening. The temperature difference between day and night remains significant, especially across western Taiwan, posing health risks for vulnerable populations.
Yilan County faces temperatures around or below 10 degrees Celsius (50°F) continuously, while Keelung City, Hsinchu City, Miaoli County, Taichung City, and several other regions may also drop below 10 degrees Celsius (50°F). The CWA noted the continental cold air mass will slightly weaken during daytime hours. However, the significant temperature swings between day and night continue to pose concerns for residents, particularly in western Taiwan where the variation is most pronounced.
From Sunday (Jan. 11) to Monday (Jan. 12), temperatures in central Taiwan, northern regions, Yilan, and Kinmen County, an offshore island group near China, are expected to range from 10 to 13 degrees Celsius (50°F to 55.4°F). Southern regions, Hualien County, Taitung County, and Penghu County, an archipelago in the Taiwan Strait, may see temperatures between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius (57.2°F to 60.8°F). Matsu, Taiwan's northernmost island group near China's Fujian Province, could drop to 9 degrees Celsius (48.2°F). ◼