TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) is predicting that a plum rain front will bring precipitation across Taiwan this evening (May 26) and continue to do so for the next couple of days.
The CWB predicts that from this evening until Wednesday (May 27), strong southwest winds will bring significant showers and thunderstorms to western and northeastern Taiwan. On Thursday (May 28), the southwest winds will continue to bring unstable weather in the first half of the day before subsiding in the afternoon and finally leaving on Friday (May 29).
Today, as the winds strengthen and convective clouds arrive in western Taiwan, the bureau forecasts that a change in the weather will first be seen in the southern and central parts of the island, where local thunderstorms are likely. As muggy daytime temperatures wear on, convection in the afternoon will likely lead to thunderstorms in mountainous areas in the northeast.
The weather bureau predicts that the plum rain front will make its presence known late this evening, when all of Taiwan proper should start to experience rainfall. In anticipation of the front, the CWB has already issued a heavy rain advisory today for Taichung City, Changhua County, Nantou County, Yunlin County, Chiayi City, Chiayi County, Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, and Pingtung County.
The stationary front will linger over Taiwan Wednesday and Thursday, making thunderstorms likely, particularly in the west and northeast, according to the CWB.
Although the rains are not expected to be as heavy as last week, the bureau advises residents of mountainous areas to beware of rockfalls and landslides due to the accumulation of moisture from the past week of precipitation. On Thursday, the front is expected to move southward, with central and southern Taiwan more likely to see thunderstorms that day.
As the front starts to leave Taiwan on Friday, the gap between showers should start to increase. However, southwestern winds will continue to blow near the island, and scattered showers are still possible in windward areas of the central and southern regions, while the rest of the country should see cloudy skies with afternoon thunderstorms in mountainous areas.
