TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) has issued a cold surge advisory for seven cities and counties from central to northern Taiwan, with low temperatures of 6.1 degrees Celsius in Lienchiang County and 7.8 C recorded in New Taipei City.

The CWB forecasts temperatures will be cold on Monday (Jan. 16). Temperatures in central, northern, and eastern Taiwan will drop to 12 or 13 C, while the south will see between 13 and 15 C. Meanwhile, the mercury in open coastal areas will be two to three degrees lower.

During the day, areas north of Taoyuan will see cloudy skies with brief rain, while the western half of the country will see mostly cloudy to sunny skies and occasional scattered showers. The CWB also issued a heavy rain advisory for Keelung City, New Taipei City, and Yilan County.

According to CWB observations, the lowest temperature recorded in a low-lying area in the country on Monday morning was 6.1 C in Lienchiang County's Dongyin Township, followed by 7.8 C in New Taipei City's Fugui Cape Park. Temperatures below 10 C were recorded in Kinmen County's Wuqiu, Keelung City, Taoyuan's Guanyin District, and Hsinchu's Xinfeng Township.

At 6:33 a.m., the CWB issued an orange alert for a probability of the temperature remaining below 10 C in New Taipei City, Keelung City, Taoyuan City and 6 C in Lienchiang County. It issued a yellow alert for the minimum temperature dropping below 10 C in Taipei City, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Taichung City, and Kinmen County.

Meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) predicts that a "strong continental cold air mass" will impact Taiwan through Wednesday (Jan. 18), bringing heavy rain to the north coast and northeast and occasional short-term rains to Greater Taipei and eastern Taiwan, while conditions will be cloudy and stable in the rest of the country. Wu forecast the cold will diminish slightly on Thursday (Jan. 19), but another continental air mass will arrive on Friday (Jan. 20), with the temperature dropping below 14 C.

Wu predicted from Jan. 21-22, the cold air will weaken and temperatures will rise. On Jan. 23-24, there will be another chance for a cold snap with temperatures in Taipei dropping below 10 C, but on Jan. 25, temperatures will rise yet again.