Temps surpass 30 degrees, rains ahead
It’s the first day of spring, and Taiwan kicked off the season with high temperatures above 30 degrees. But the warm weather won’t last long. An incoming front will sweep in with showers starting Thursday, drenching the island over the weekend. Over in the south, the rains will be concentrated mostly over the mountains, offering little relief to the local water shortage.
In Northern Taiwan, it’s short sleeves and light clothes, as the sun hangs high in the sky. The CWB says pleasant weather will also prevail on Wednesday, which is set to be even warmer. Temps could reach 32 degrees in Northern Taiwan, with a high chance of afternoon showers. Over in central and eastern Taiwan, highs of 34 degrees are expected. But this spell of warm weather is set to end on Thursday.
Wu Wan-hua
Central Weather Bureau
Tomorrow, Wednesday, will be the warmest day of the week. In Taitung, highs are set to reach 34 degrees, and the area could experience Foehn winds. On Thursday and Friday, an approaching front will bring intermittent showers to the north and east, as well as to Kinmen and Matsu.
The first spring rains are on their way. On Thursday and Friday, a front from the north will bring brief rains to the north and east. From the weekend to Monday, a cloud system from southern China will move in, just as the northeasterlies bear down. That could bring rain to the northern half of the island and the East Coast, as well as mountainous areas in the south. There’s a chance of intermittent showers across Taiwan, although water shortages are expected to remain in the south.
Wu Wan-hua
Central Weather Bureau
Over the weekend, Southern Taiwan will most likely just see rains in mountainous areas. So it is unlikely that the rains will resolve the water shortage. There needs to be several waves of rainy weather in the catchment areas of the reservoirs before the situation can improve.
As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, water levels at Kaohsiung’s Agongdian Reservoir stood at just 36% capacity. They were even lower at Chiayi’s Tsengwen Reservoir, which was at less than 10% capacity. Forecasters say relief won’t arrive until late March. Until then, residents of Southern Taiwan are advised to conserve water.
2023-03-21