Agency forecasts drier plum rain season

• Staff writer, with CNA

The nation is forecast to experience slightly drier than usual weather over the next three months, as it transitions into the plum rain season, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.

In its seasonal forecast released late last month, the CWA said the primary rainfall belt from this month to June would likely stretch from the Philippines to the northwestern Pacific, with Taiwan outside of that belt.

Although Taiwan’s rainfall is forecast to be mostly within a normal range, recent climate models suggest that it could fall below average, the CWA said, but cautioned that weather predictions for the spring and plum rain seasons tend to have higher degrees of uncertainty.

Rapid changes in weather patterns are typical in April, during which northern continental high-pressure systems weaken while the Pacific high-pressure system to the south begins to strengthen, the agency said.

May and June mark the start of Taiwan’s plum rain season, which is characterized by stationary frontal systems lingering near the island, it said, adding that those systems often bring thunderstorms and gusty winds.

Temperature-wise, this month and next are expected to see near-normal conditions, while June is projected to be warmer than average, the agency said.

In the shorter term, the CWA forecast cloudy to rainy skies from today onward due to increasing moisture in the atmosphere.

Precipitation is likely in northern Taiwan today, as a cloud system moves in from South China.

Daytime temperatures are expected to hover around 25°C, the CWA said.

Starting on Monday, areas throughout the northern half of Taiwan and the eastern counties are to experience increased cloud cover and continued rain, with sporadic rainfall extending to the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) and mountainous areas in the south, the agency said.