TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Temperatures are expected to drop below 10 degrees Celsius in Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, and Miaoli County on Thursday (Jan. 15) morning. Experts urge residents to brace for the chilly conditions as radiative cooling continues to affect the region.
Meteorologist Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典) noted a stark temperature difference of 4.4 degrees between New Taipei City and Taipei City due to radiative cooling observed on Tuesday (Jan. 13) night. Cheng explained that the wind field primarily determines the temperature variance between the two cities. When the wind shifts from northeast to east, a stream flows through the Keelung River Valley (基隆河谷), impacting Taipei City.
Meanwhile, the first tropical depression of the year, TD-01, formed early Wednesday (Jan. 14) east of the Philippines. It may develop into Typhoon Nokaen (洛鞍) and is predicted to move northeast, posing no threat to Taiwan. Its outer cloud bands may reach the Bashi Channel (巴士海峽) and southeastern Taiwan's offshore waters between Saturday (Jan. 17) and Monday (Jan. 19), but they are unlikely to significantly impact the land's weather.
Forecasters expect stable weather in Taiwan on Thursday due to easterly winds, with a slight increase in rain chances in the eastern region, while the western region remains partly cloudy to clear. A new cold air mass will move southward starting Sunday (Jan. 18), with its strongest impact anticipated from Jan. 21 to 23. The cold air is expected to persist until the following weekend, with nighttime and early morning temperatures remaining low due to radiative cooling.