A cold air mass continues to affect Taiwan as the new year of 2025 unfolds, with over 10 days having passed and a total of 437 cases of non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) deaths reported across the island. The Central Weather Bureau issued special cold weather alerts for 17 counties and cities today (January 11), indicating a probability of temperatures dropping below 10 degrees in various areas of Taiwan.
According to the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau’s announcement at 10:30 am today, the alert is in effect from the morning of the 11th to the night of the 12th. Regions under the orange alert (extremely cold) include New Taipei City, Keelung City, Taipei City, and Yilan County. Areas under the yellow alert (cold) include Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Taichung City, Changhua County, Nantou County, Yunlin County, Chiayi City, Chiayi County, Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, Kinmen County, and Lienchiang County.
The Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan stated that from the 11th to the early hours of the 13th, a strong cold air mass from the mainland will bring cold weather to the northern and northeastern parts as well as the eastern region of Taiwan, with other areas also experiencing cold mornings and evenings. There is a probability of temperatures around 10 degrees or below (orange alert) persisting in parts of Greater Taipei, Keelung, and Yilan from today to the 12th. Residents are advised to take precautions.
According to statistics from the Taiwan Fire Department, from January 1st to the 10th, there were a total of 437 cases of OHCA deaths due to non-traumatic and internal causes across Taiwan, with 34, 51, 41, 47, 35, 50, 40, 47, 38, and 54 cases reported on each respective day.
Wu Derong, associate professor at the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at National Central University in Taiwan, mentioned on a weather program that the latest European (ECMWF) model simulation as of 8:00 pm on the 10th indicates that from today until the morning of the 12th, a strong cold air mass will envelop the region. There may be brief showers in the eastern side of Greater Taipei and the eastern half, while the central and southern regions will be partly cloudy. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan will hover around 14-15 degrees, remaining cold and overcast throughout the day. The central and southern regions will also experience cold mornings and evenings, with some low-lying areas still seeing temperatures below 10 degrees tonight and on the 12th morning.
Wu Derong further advised that industries such as agriculture, fisheries, and animal husbandry in Taiwan need to pay attention to the adjustments in the Central Weather Bureau’s “cold weather alerts” and take adequate measures to prevent cold damage. The general public is also urged to stay warm for their health. There is a chance of snow in high mountain areas today. Temperature ranges across different regions are expected to be 8-14 degrees in the north, 11-20 degrees in the central region, 11-22 degrees in the south, and 10-19 degrees in the east.
The latest European model simulation suggests that from daytime on the 12th until the early hours of the 13th, the cold weather will persist due to the influence of a strong cold air mass from the mainland, gradually turning clear and colder. With sunlight warming temperatures during the day, it will slightly rise, but at night, “strong radiative cooling” will set in, potentially leading to extreme low temperatures, even around 5 degrees in some low-lying areas. There is also a chance of Taipei hitting the criteria for a “cold wave,” so continued attention to warmth and cold protection is crucial.
As for the weather conditions in Taiwan next week, Wu mentioned that based on the latest simulations from various countries, clear and stable weather is expected across the island starting from the daytime of the 13th until the 14th, with cold air gradually weakening and temperatures remaining low in the mornings and evenings. A frontal rain band accompanied by strong cold air will move southward on the 15th, resulting in brief showers in the northern and eastern regions, causing a sudden drop in temperatures and increasing coldness later in the evening. From the 16th to the early morning of the 17th, a strong cold air mass will envelop the region, bringing temperatures to their lowest. The cold air will gradually diminish from the 17th to the 19th, with the latest simulations indicating slightly weaker intensity compared to the current wave, but with a high probability of the mainland cold air mass continuing to impact the region. However, this is not a final conclusion, as models are subject to further adjustments and should be closely monitored.