A temperature of 5°C was recorded in Hsinchu County's Guansi Township (關西) early today, the lowest in a non-mountainous area in Taiwan for the day so far, as the country remained in the grip of a continental cold air mass, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
The record low of 5°C in Guansi Township was followed by 5.2°C in Miaoli County's Sanwan Township, and 6.5°C in New Taipei City's Shiding District (石碇), CWA data showed.
The CWA has issued cold surge advisories, effective until late this morning, warning of temperatures below 10°C in various cities and counties in Taiwan, including New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung and Yilan County.
Photo: Taipei Times file photo
The effects of the cold air mass are expected to weaken during the day, and temperatures would rise slightly from the day before, the CWA said.
Highs of 18°C to 20°C are forecast in the north, and 23°C to 24°C in the rest of the country, the CWA said.
Sunny skies are expected to emerge today across much of the country, with the likelihood of scattered showers in Hualien and Taitung counties in the east, the CWA said.
The weather is expected to get progressively warmer over the next two days, but the mercury would drop sharply at night due to a radiative cooling effect, the CWA forecast.
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