Update: Dec. 21, 4 p.m.

The CWA has expanded its orange alert to include Taipei, Yilan County, Hualien County, Kinmen County, and Lienchiang County. The yellow alert has added Changhua County, Nantou County, Yunlin County, Chiayi, Chiayi County, Tainan, and Taitung County. This brings the total number of counties and cities included in the cold surge alerts to 19.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has issued a cold surge alert for 12 counties and cities on Thursday (Dec. 21), with some parts of northern Taiwan potentially dropping below 6 C.

The CWA issued an orange cold surge advisory for the chance of temperatures dropping below 6 C in Keelung, New Taipei, Taoyuan, and Hsinchu County. A yellow alert for temperatures possibly below 10 C has been issued in Taipei, Hsinchu, Miaoli County, Taichung, Yilan County, Hualien County, Kinmen County, and Lienchiang County.

On Thursday morning, the lowest temperatures recorded were 9.5 C in Cape Fugui New Taipei City's Shimen District and 9.6 C in Chagaichang in Taoyuan's Yangmei District. Taipei's Nangang District reported 10.9 C, Taichung's Qingshui District reported 11.9 C, Kaohsiung City's Tianliao District reported 14.3 C, and Yilan County's Wujie Township reported 12 C.

Wu said high mountains such as Lalashan, Taipingshan, and Hehuanshan could see snow. As for the summit of Datunshan, temperatures will drop to around freezing, with a higher probability of frost than snow.