Temperatures in Taiwan to cool on Qiufen, autumn equinox

秋分到，台灣氣溫下降

Qiufen, autumn equinox, to bring cooler temperatures to Taiwan TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Monday (Sept. 23) marks the start of Qiufen (秋分), the autumn equinox, and right on cue, temperatures are expected to be cooler today in Taiwan. In the lunisolar calendar, Qiufen starts when the sun reaches celestial longitude 180° and comes to an end when the sun hits 195° longitude. In the Gregorian calendar, this usually begins around Sept. 23 and ends around Oct. 8. WeatherRisk Explore Inc. President Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said that after today, daylight will start to decrease and night hours will start to increase, causing the weather to gradually cool. Peng predicted that the recent weather pattern involving northeasterly winds will continue. Peng said that on Qiufen in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun appears to cross the celestial equator heading southward. Qiufen is followed on the lunisolar calendar by Hanlu (寒露) and Shuangjiang (霜降), the last two stages of autumn before winter. Based on climate statistics, temperatures should gradually cool during this phase. However, Peng said that due to climate change, weather changes traditionally associated with each part of the lunisolar cycle may no longer be observable. Peng said that northeasterly winds will continue to blow this week but will be slightly weaker than last week. The temperature in northern Taiwan will range between 20 to 29 degrees Celsius, with a high possibility of reaching 30 degrees by noon, while central and southern Taiwan will see highs of between 31 to 33 degrees. As for precipitation, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said that due to the influence of northeasterly winds, there is a chance of brief, localized rains in northern and eastern Taiwan on Friday. In northern and northeastern Taiwan, rainfall is likely in mountainous areas and on the north coast around Keelung. In the evening, the likelihood of rain in flat areas will increase, while central and southern Taiwan will see cloudy to clear skies. Mountainous areas of central and southern Taiwan could see scattered showers in the afternoon.
Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2019-09-23