TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A weather front set to arrive on Wednesday (Feb. 10) is predicted to bring cold, soggy conditions for the first five days of the Lunar New Year holiday for some parts of the country.

As for the weather today (Feb. 9), the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) predicts that Taiwan will continue to feel the effects of a northeastern monsoon, bringing short-term rains to Taoyuan and areas north and in eastern Taiwan, while Hsinchu and areas south will see partly cloudy to sunny skies. Highs today will rise over 20 degrees Celsius, while lows will range between 15 and 18 degrees, with the CWB advising the public to pay attention to diurnal temperature fluctuations.

Meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) predicts that on Wednesday, the night before Lunar New Year's Eve (Xiao Nian Ye, 小年夜), a new weather front will close in on Taiwan, increasing the likelihood of rain across the country. Wu forecasts that by Lunar New Year's Eve (Feb. 11), rain will continue during the day but diminish somewhat in the evening.

From the first to third days of the Lunar New Year, (Feb. 12 to 14), Wu predicts that northeast winds will impact the country, bringing cold and wet weather to the north. During this period, there will be isolated showers in the north and east, while skies will be cloudy over the central and southern regions.

Wu said that according to the latest model from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the northeast winds will weaken and moisture in the air will diminish by the fourth day of the new year (Feb. 15). By Feb. 15, western Taiwan should see partly cloudy to sunny skies, with mild temperatures during the day and cooler morning and evening temperatures.

There will still be a chance of isolated showers in eastern Taiwan that day. On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year (Feb. 16), moisture will return, bringing brief rains to the northern and eastern parts of the country and cloudy weather to central and southern areas.