A cold surge that has gripped Taiwan over the weekend would weaken today, with temperatures rising through tomorrow before another cold front takes hold from Wednesday to Sunday, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
The lowest temperature recorded yesterday in low-lying areas on Taiwan proper was 5.7°C at Cape Fuguei (富貴角) in New Taipei City’s Shimen District (石門), followed by 9°C at the Taipei weather station, the bureau said.
The temperature on Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County dropped to minus-1.3°C at about 3am, the bureau said.
Photo: CNA
The low temperature, coupled with abundant moisture, resulted in about a 10-minute snowfall on Wuling (武嶺) peak, which is 3,275m above sea level, it added.
Some people had camped on the peak overnight to see snowfall, as it is a rare occurrence in Taiwan.
The current cold surge would peak early this morning, while stable weather with clear skies is expected across Taiwan, said Daniel Wu (吳德榮), a former bureau Weather Forecast Center director who is now an adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Beginning today, the cold air would gradually dissipate, he said, adding that from Wednesday to Sunday, another cold wave is expected to take hold, although it would be weaker than the current one.
Temperatures in low-lying areas during early morning hours could hover below 10°C, Wu said.
On Friday and Saturday, 121 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases were reported across Taiwan, but it was unclear whether they were cuased by the cold snap, emergency officials said.
However, they called on the public, particularly those with heart disease, to stay warm and be aware of the increased risk of cardiovascular events during cold weather.
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