Temperatures in most parts of the nation are to remain low until Sunday morning, with rainfall forecast in the northern areas, the Central Weather Bureau said.
After a warm, sunny Wednesday morning, temperatures have plunged, with the northern part of Taiwan experiencing precipitation and cold.
The temperature changes are due to the passing of a cold front, a continental cold air mass and an increase in seasonal northeasterly winds, the bureau said.
Photo: CNA
The mercury is forecast to remain low in the north, with temperatures of 15°C to 17°C, while central Taiwan could see temperatures of 16°C to 20°C, it said.
Eastern and southern Taiwan could see highs of 24°C to 26°C and nighttime lows of 15°C to 17°C.
The weather across the nation is likely to follow the same pattern of cold and rainy days until Sunday morning, it said.
In other news, the Freeway Bureau yesterday afternoon implemented high-occupancy vehicle rules on northbound lanes of freeways, as many started heading home early yesterday — the third day of the Lunar New Year — to avoid traffic congestion that usually occurs toward the end of holidays.
As more people are to travel north in the next few days, the Freeway Bureau encouraged motorists to get enough rest before hitting the road and use the bureau’s mobile app “1968” to get the latest traffic update.
To avoid congestion on freeways, drivers could take Highway 61 instead of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1) and Formosa Freeway (Freeway No. 3), it said.
Alternative routes to the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway (Freeway No. 5) and the Shuishalian Freeway (Freeway No. 6) are Highways No. 9 and No. 63 respectively, it added.
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which stipulates that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican US Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. It stipulates that if China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, the US would, “to the maximum extent practicable,” exclude China from international financial institutions, including the G20, the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. The bill makes it clear that China
Garbage and recycling schedules are to vary from Saturday through Sunday next week over the Lunar New Year holiday period. The following collection information is from the governments of the six special municipalities. Taipei Regular service: Sunday to Monday next week. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Extra service: Friday next week. Regular service resumes: Saturday next week. New Taipei City Extra service: Sunday. Adjusted collection time: Monday next week — garbage collection is to begin in the morning and end at 6pm. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Regular service resumes: Friday next week. Note: Garbage can be dropped off at 70
Taiwan’s Li Yu-hsiang performs in the men’s singles figure skating short program at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday. Li finished 24th with a score of 72.41 to advance to Saturday’s free skate portion of the event. He is the first Taiwanese to qualify for the free skate of men’s singles figure skating at the Olympics since David Liu in 1992.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday held a ceremony marking the delivery of its 11th Anping-class offshore patrol vessel Lanyu (蘭嶼艦), saying it would boost Taiwan’s ability to respond to Beijing’s “gray zone” tactics. Ocean Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chang Chung-Lung (張忠龍) presided over the CGA event in the Port of Kaoshiung. Representatives of the National Security Council also attended the event. Designed for long-range and protracted patrol operations at sea, the Lanyu is a 65.4m-long and 14.8m-wide ship with a top speed of 44 knots (81.5kph) and a cruising range of 2,000 nautical miles (3704km). The vessel is equipped with a
RSS