Taiwanese meteorologist Lin De-en announced today on Facebook that “the second cold wave of the year has arrived!” Meteorologist Wu Derong mentioned that this cold air mass has reached the strength of a cold wave, marking the second wave since the beginning of winter. It is forecasted that another cold air mass will move southward on the afternoon of the 7th, affecting until the early hours of the 10th, posing a challenge to the probability of the third cold wave of winter.
Lin De-en updated on his Facebook page “Teacher Lin’s Meteorological Station” that the strength of this cold air mass has escalated. This morning, it has transitioned from a strong continental cold air mass to a cold wave level. Due to reduced environmental moisture, the weather pattern today will shift from damp cold to dry cold. Tomorrow, the rain and cloud cover in South China will shift eastward, leading to localized brief rainfall in Northern and Northeastern Taiwan as well as the eastern regions. The cold spell will continue to impact the region for the next two days until it is expected to gradually weaken and move away by the daytime of the 6th, with temperatures slowly rising.
Associate Professor Wu Derong from the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at National Central University pointed out in a column by the Meteorological Application Promotion Foundation that the latest European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model simulation at 8 p.m. on the 2nd showed the impact of the second “cold wave” since the beginning of winter. Over the next two days, the western half of the region will experience dry and cold conditions, with a chance of brief localized rainfall in some mountainous areas and the eastern half. The lowest temperatures on flat lands are expected to drop to around 7 degrees, advising agricultural and aquacultural industries to take precautions against the cold and for the public to stay warm for good health.
According to Wu Derong, there is still a chance of sporadic snowfall above 2,000 meters (such as Mount Taiping) today and 3,000 meters (such as Mount Hehuan) tomorrow. The temperature ranges across different regions are 7 to 16 degrees in the north, 9 to 19 degrees in the central region, 11 to 21 degrees in the south, and 10 to 19 degrees in the east.
Wu Derong mentioned that the latest European model indicates a gradual increase in temperature from the 6th to the first half of the 7th, marking clear warming. The western region will be mostly sunny with some clouds, while the eastern side may see occasional brief localized rain. The latest simulations from various countries are becoming more consistent, showing another strong cold air mass moving rapidly southward in the latter half of the 7th, covering the region in strong cold air until the early hours of the 10th. Its intensity is slightly stronger than the previous wave, increasing the likelihood of challenging the third “cold wave” since the beginning of winter. However, close observation of the model adjustments is still necessary. By the daytime of the 10th and the 11th, the cold air mass will weaken, and temperatures will gradually rise.
The Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan issued a special report on low temperatures today, indicating a significant drop in temperatures across the region due to the cold wave. There is a probability of temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius. Today, areas north of Miaoli, Yilan, and Kinmen have a consistent probability of temperatures around 10 degrees or lower (orange warning), while regions north of Chiayi have a chance of temperatures below 10 degrees (yellow warning).