Taipei, February 8 — A strong cold wave is sweeping across Taiwan, bringing chilly temperatures and scattered rainfall to northern and eastern regions early Saturday, according to weather experts. Low-lying areas nationwide recorded morning temperatures ranging from 8°C to 12°C, but conditions are expected to worsen overnight.
Meteorologist Wu Der-Rong, an adjunct associate professor at National Central University’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences, noted in an analysis published by the Weather Application Promotion Foundation that the latest European forecasting model indicates the cold air mass will intensify through Sunday morning. Taipei has a chance of seeing temperatures fall to around 10°C, while some flatland areas across the island could dip below 6°C, marking the second major cold wave of the winter season. Residents are urged to keep warm and take precautions against cold-related health risks.
Rainfall is forecast to gradually decrease, with northern Taiwan turning cloudy after morning showers, central and southern regions seeing sunnier breaks, and eastern Taiwan experiencing brief, localized rain. Daytime temperatures are expected to range from 6°C to 13°C in the north, 8°C to 18°C in central areas, 10°C to 22°C in the south, and 8°C to 18°C in the east.
In mountainous regions, snowfall chances are diminishing as moisture decreases, particularly in Taipingshan and central highlands. However, temperatures near freezing at peaks such as Datun Mountain and Qixing Mountain may still lead to frost, ice pellets, or rime formation.
The cold is expected to linger into early Tuesday due to enhanced radiative cooling, with some lowland areas again seeing temperatures below 6°C. From Tuesday daytime through Wednesday morning, the cold air mass will gradually weaken, allowing for sunnier skies and a modest daytime warm-up, though chilly mornings will persist.
Another weaker cold front is forecast to arrive Wednesday afternoon, bringing increased cloud cover to the north and brief showers to eastern Taiwan, along with a slight temperature drop. Conditions are expected to improve by Thursday, with clearer skies and rising temperatures. From Friday through the Lunar New Year period, Taiwan is likely to experience stable, sunny weather with spring-like warmth during the day, though large temperature differences between day and night are expected.