The mercury is expected to dip lower over the next few days as another cold front hits the nation tomorrow, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday.
Tamsui Township (淡水) in Taipei County recorded a low of 8.5oC yesterday morning, the lowest temperature recorded so far this winter. In Hsinchu County, the mercury dipped to 9.2oC and in Keelung the thermometer read 9.5oC.
The bureau said the frigid weather accompanied by chilly rain is scheduled to last through next Saturday with highs of 17oC expected towards the end of the week.
People in central and southern Taiwan, however, will see a few days of sun before rainy skies reappear on Wednesday.
Weather on Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu will on the cold side but no rain is forecast for next week, the bureau said.
Astrid Terry, a US student from San Francisco studying at the Taipei Language Institute, said she did not expect Taiwan to be this cold when she arrived here two weeks ago.
"I was expecting a tropical country. And I even checked on the Internet before I came and it said 83 degrees Fahrenheit. So I packed all short sleeves," she said.
"I feel like a wimp because [Taiwan] is warmer than San Francisco but it feels colder because of the high humidity and lack of central heating," she said.
She said she has opted to escape the cold by staying indoors to play mahjong with some friends.
The bureau has advised people using indoor heaters to stay warm to remember to keep a window open to help keep the air in their homes circulating to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
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