Holiday revelers can look forward to relatively warmer temperatures — and even sunny weather — during the Lunar New Year holiday, with no cold front heading in Taiwan’s direction this week, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
Lin Hsiu-wen (林秀雯), deputy director of the bureau’s forecast center, said a cold front lingering around the nation would gradually weaken from today.
Chances of rain would be high in the northern and eastern parts of the country, as well as mountainous areas in central Taiwan tomorrow, Lunar New Year’s Eve. Visibility in mountainous areas in northern regions, as well as on the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu, could be poor as low clouds are expected for those areas.
Residents on Kinmen, Matsu and the west coast of Taiwan proper could experience fog on Thursday and Friday.
Bureau director-general Shin Tzay-chyn (辛在勤) said the impact of fog on maritime transport was unlikely to be as bad as last year.
“The wind blowing from the south is not as strong this year,” Shin said. “Airports may have to shut down a few times, but they won’t be shut down all day.”
On Friday, chances of rain will remain high in the northern, eastern and central parts of the country because of a weak northeastern monsoon, which would have little effect on temperatures in those areas, Lin said.
Temperatures would gradually rise on Saturday, with cloudy or sunny skies forecast in most parts of the country until Monday.
Only the eastern and southeastern regions are expected to experience brief showers during this period, she said.
Despite the sunny weather, Lin said that drastic differences in daytime and nighttime temperatures would remain. Daytime temperatures in the north are forecast to rise above 20oC, while the central and southern regions could see a high of 27oC. Temperatures at night, however, could drop to 10oC, she said.
The bureau added that it would start offering marine metrology forecasts today for travelers returning home by sea. The forecasts will cover five main sea routes: Keelung to Matsu; Greater Taichung to Magong (馬公), Penghu; Kaohsiung to Magong; Donggang (東港) in Pingtung County to Little Liouciou (小琉球); and Taitung to Green Island (綠島).
The updated marine forecasts will be available every day at 6am, noon, 6pm and midnight, the bureau said.
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “(we) appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
ON PAROLE: The 73-year-old suspect has a criminal record of rape committed when he was serving in the military, as well as robbery and theft, police said The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday approved the detention of a 73-year-old man for allegedly murdering three women. The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of a 71-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙). The Kaohsiung City Police Department yesterday also unveiled the identities of two other possible victims in the serial killing case, a 75-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 75-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), who is not related to the suspect. The case came to light when Chao disappeared after taking the suspect back to his residence on Sunday. Police, upon reviewing CCTV
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as a former chair on the AIT’s official Web site, with her tenure marked as 2023 to this year. US officials have said previously that they usually do not comment on personnel changes within the government. Rosenberger was appointed head of the AIT in 2023, during the administration of former US president Joe