Affected by a cold air mass from China, Taiwan will experience its coldest period so far this year. Starting yesterday evening until Sunday, the mercury is expected to drop to as low as 8˚C in central parts of the country, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
“A cold air mass is affecting us. So far, the lowest temperature observed was 15˚C in Tamsui (淡水), Taipei County. However, temperatures across the country are expected to drop even lower tonight as well as tomorrow morning,” senior forecaster Wu Wang-hua (伍婉華) said.
“Temperatures in the north will be around 11˚C or 12˚C. The cold spell will last until Sunday, with temperatures predicted to be the lowest in the morning and evening,” she said.
PHOTO: CNA
The bureau has issued a low-temperature advisory so that people can make preparations to combat the cold, she said.
At about 11am yesterday, snow was observed on Yushan (玉山), where temperatures dropped to minus 0.9˚C, Wu said, adding that because the climate was dry, the snow only appeared on the ground for about half an hour.
“Because of the dryness of the cold air mass, chances of further snow on Jade Mountain and other areas are low,” Wu said.
Regions north of Chiayi, especially open spaces or areas along the coast, regions in the northeast, as well as outlying islands Kinmen and Matsu will be the coldest, with temperatures dropping below 10˚C, Wu said, adding that the lowest temperatures were expected to be 8˚C in Chiayi, Changhua and Yunlin counties, and 7˚C in Matsu.
While central and southern parts of the country would still be in the 20s Celsius during the day, the areas would experience temperature differences of as much as 13˚C during the night, she said.
The cold front is expected to pass on Monday, Wu said, adding that temperatures would probably not pick up until Tuesday.
The bureau called on people to be cautious when using gas heaters while showering to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and advised people going outside to dress warmly.
In related news, the Council of Agriculture yesterday urged agricultural and fish farmers to take precautionary action to reduce losses, adding that in addition to covering up plantations or fish farms to prevent frostbite, farmers whose crops are near maturation should consider early harvest.
The council said it would help with relief fund applications if damage caused by the cold front exceeded levels stipulated in the Agricultural Natural Disaster Relief Regulations.
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Taiwan's Gold Apollo Co (金阿波羅通信) said today that the pagers used in detonations in Lebanon the day before were not made by it, but by a company called BAC which has a license to use its brand. At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon yesterday. Images of destroyed pagers analyzed by Reuters showed a format and stickers on the back that were consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo. A senior Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah had ordered 5,000 pagers from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. "The product was not
COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai