TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s weather is likely to return to normal next year, though the south could still face a drought during the next quarter, the Central Weather Bureau said Friday (Dec. 30).

Over the past three years, the country’s weather has felt the impact of La Nina, bringing lower temperatures to the Pacific west of South America and more extreme temperatures to Taiwan. But the phenomenon only occurs once in 20 years and is weakening at present, according to Weather Forecast Center Director Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣).

The past year showed the 12th highest average temperatures in Taiwan since 1951 as recorded by 11 weather stations, with even Yushan setting record highs for July and August, Lu said.

However, the plum rain season in May was the second coldest since 1951, with the fifth highest amount of precipitation for the same period. An absence of typhoons during the summer saw the second-lowest amount of rain for a summer since 1951, though that situation changed in October, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported.

Lu said that strong northeasterly winds would bring cold air to Taiwan during early 2023 which would also frequently be dry. This could mean south and central parts of the country might be at risk of a drought, with the possibility of more cold fronts in the north.