Strongest cold air mass to blanket Taiwan FEB. 10 / 入冬最強冷氣團襲台 週五低溫下探10度　　　　　　　　　　

Taiwan will be affected by the strongest cold snap of this winter so far, starting this coming Friday. The Central Weather Bureau says that this mass of cold air will bring temperatures as low as 10°C in northern Taiwan on Friday and Saturday, and significant temperature drops across the island. This is the first cold snap to reach the "intense continental cold air mass" classification this winter, as well as the first time in 66 years that a cold snap of this intensity arrived so late in winter. Strong northeasterly winds have brought colder temperatures to northern Taiwan starting the evening of the 5th. Though the wind will begin to weaken on Wednesday, and temperatures will rise, starting Thursday, an intense continental cold air mass will bring temperatures as low as 10°C in northern Taiwan, and 9°C in open areas. ==CHU MEI-LIN Central Weather Bureau Forecaster== This intense cold air mass will likely have a long duration of effect, around 3 days. It is a relatively dry air mass, so it will bring only scattered showers to windward areas in the north and east. In the center and south, precipitation will be minimal. The Central Weather Bureau says that this cold air mass could reach the "cold wave" classification level. It will be the first intense continental cold air mass in this exceptionally warm winter, the latest date of a first intense cold air mass CWB has ever recorded since 1951. ==LAI CHUNG-WEI Weather and Environ. Data Dept. Manager, WeatherRisk Inc.== Temperatures this winter have, in general, been higher than in previous years. So people have not yet felt the effects of cold weather yet. By the standards of Taiwan's climate, the arrival of a cold spell of this intensity is actually a return to normal, not a sign of abnormal weather. The CWB reminds the public that temperatures could dip as low as 10°C on Friday and Saturday. Lows will be around 11°C in Taipei City, 12°C in central Taiwan, and 13°C to 14°C in the south. When the cold spell is in effect, the public should be advised that radiative cooling at night could cause enormous differences in temperature between daytime and nighttime. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 因為東北季風增強，今天傍晚開始，北台灣的溫度就會開始下降，直到周三東北季風減弱，溫度才會稍微回升，不過週四受到強烈大陸冷氣團影響，北台灣低溫將下探10度，空曠地區有機會出現9度低溫。 ==中央氣象局預報員 朱美霖== 這波強烈冷氣團看起來 影響的時間會比較持續一些 大概會持續三天左右 這波冷空氣 它其實挾帶的水氣是比較偏乾的 所以因此是在 迎風面的北部 東半部 稍微有些局部的降雨 那也因此在 中南部的部份水氣是比較少的 氣象局表示，這波強烈大陸冷氣團的強度，有機會變成寒流。由於這個冬天很溫暖，所以這將是這個冬天的第一個強烈大陸冷氣團，也是1951年有氣象局統計資料以來，最晚報到的強烈大陸冷氣團。 ==天氣風險管理開發公司 氣象環資部經理 賴忠瑋== 因為今年的冬天的氣溫普遍來說 跟往年比較起來 比較偏高一點 所以大家好像沒有感覺到 好像很冷的天氣 對我們台灣的天氣來說 其實像這樣子 有這樣子強度的冷空氣南下來說 其實算是有點恢復到正常的情況 它反而不是異常 氣象局提醒，周五、六北部最低溫將下探10度，台北市大約11度，中部12度，南部也只有13到14度，而這波強烈大陸冷氣團來臨後，受到幅射冷卻影響，日夜溫差變化大，民眾要特別留意。 記者 張志雄 邱福財 台北報導