Weather Front to Bring Rain to Taiwan on Lunar New Year’s Eve

Taipei: As a weather front approaches Taiwan, increasing moisture is expected to bring rain on Monday, Lunar New Year's Eve, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). According to Focus Taiwan, the CWA stated that strengthening seasonal northeasterly winds are anticipated to cause heavier precipitation in Keelung and northern coastal areas, especially on Monday afternoon. Brief rain is also possible in Taoyuan, regions north of Taoyuan, eastern Taiwan, the Hengchun Peninsula in the south, as well as the outlying Matsu islands. Elsewhere across the island, cloudy to sunny skies are likely to prevail on Monday. The seasonal winds are expected to lower daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan to between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius. Other regions are predicted to experience less impact from the seasonal winds, with daytime highs ranging from 23 to 27 degrees between Taitung and Tainan and in eastern Taiwan. Meanwhile, temperatures of 28 to 30 degrees are likely in Kaohsiung and Pingtung in the south. The CWA has urged the public to remain vigilant to a significant day-night temperature gap, with forecasts indicating a drop to between 15 and 17 degrees in northern Taiwan and Yilan in the northeast, and 16 to 19 degrees in the south and in Hualien and Taitung in the east. A strong wind advisory has been issued for several areas, including New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, Pingtung, and Taitung, as well as the outlying islands of Penghu and Matsu. The weather agency noted that the seasonal wind system is expected to continue affecting Taiwan on Tuesday, the first day of the Year of the Horse, with cooler conditions persisting in the north and northeast.