TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has seen the third coldest spring since 2011, with an average temperature of 20.4 degrees C, said the Central Weather Administration on Tuesday.

CWA Weather Forecast Center Director Chen Yi-liang (陳怡良) said the February-April period was affected by cold air masses from the north, leading to cooler temperatures, per CNA. In addition, Chen said convection from the South China Sea to the waters east of the Philippines brought above-average rainfall.

Chen pointed out that two cold waves have occurred since February, with extended periods of lower temperatures. He said March and April saw significant temperature fluctuations between cold and warm weather. 

Chen said the average temperature across 11 lowland weather stations during the period was 20.4 C, the third coldest spring since 2011 and slightly below the long-term average of 20.8 C, based on 1991–2020 data.

The coldest spring on record occurred in 1968, with the average temperature 2.4 C below the long-term average. The warmest was in 2019, with temperatures 1.5 C above the norm.

Chen added that Taipei recorded 30 days with temperatures below 14 C this spring, the third most in the past 20 years. The highest was in 2011 with 39 days, and the lowest was in 2019 with just 7 days.

Chen said this spring's precipitation was above normal overall, with February and March seeing more rain than usual, while April saw slightly below-average rainfall. Total accumulated rainfall this spring was 321.3 mm, surpassing the average of 282.8 mm. 

Since 1951, the highest spring rainfall was recorded in 1983 with 726 mm, and the lowest in 2002 with just 136.8 mm.