HOT AND COLD: Seasonal winds were expected to affect Taiwan today, with the CWA urging people to remain alert to big day-night temperature drops
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Staff writer, with CNA
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The Freeway Bureau yesterday warned of heavy traffic and potential congestion on 12 major sections of freeways and highways today, the first day of the Lunar New Year, when people typically make courtesy calls to relatives and friends, or visit temples and scenic spots.
Traffic volume on national highways reached 50.6 million vehicle-kilometers as of 3pm yesterday, Lunar New Year’s Eve, the bureau said in a statement.
It forecast total traffic volume for yesterday would reach 92 million vehicle-kilometers, which it said was within the expected range.
Vehicles travel along the Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1) near Taipei yesterday morning.
Photo: CNA
A vehicle-kilometer is a measure of traffic flow representing the movement of a vehicle over 1km.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, traffic on national highways is expected to reach 122 million vehicle-kilometers, 1.3 times the average daily volume of 93 million vehicle-kilometers, it said.
Southbound traffic is projected to total 67 million vehicle-kilometers, 1.4 times the usual daily average, it added.
Estimated temperatures from yesterday to Monday next week in Taipei and Yilan County (red), central and southern Taiwan (blue), and Hualien and Taitung counties (green) are pictured in a graphic.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration
Key congestion hot spots include the National Sun Yat-sen Freeway (National Freeway No. 1) section between Yangmei (楊梅) and Hsinchu City, the Changhua City and Puyan (埔鹽) interchanges, and the Yuanshan (圓山) and Dahua (大華) interchanges; the Formosa Freeway (National Freeway No. 3) sections between New Taipei City’s Tucheng District (土城) and Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Kuaiguan (快官) and Wufen (霧峰) interchanges, and Caotun (草屯) and Wufeng interchanges; and the Taichung Circular Line’s (Freeway No. 4) Tanzih (潭子) and Fongshih (豐勢) interchanges.
Other hot spots include the Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Freeway’s (Freeway No. 5) Nangang (南港) and Touchen (頭城) interchanges, and the section between Yilan County and New Taipei City’s Pinglin District (坪林); the Shuishalian Freeway’s (Freeway No. 6) Dong Caotun (東草屯) and Wufeng interchanges; and Freeway No. 10’s Dingjin (鼎金) and Yanchao (燕巢) interchanges, and the section between Kaohsiung’s Renwu (仁武) and Zuoying (左營) districts.
The bureau recommends that southbound drivers on western freeways depart before 6am or after midday, while southbound drivers on Freeway No. 5 should aim to leave before 5am or after 5pm to avoid congestion.
Separately, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said that strengthening seasonal northeasterly winds resulted in heavier precipitation in Keelung and northern coastal areas yesterday.
The seasonal winds also pushed daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan down to between 21°C and 23°C.
Other areas were less affected, with daytime highs ranging from 23°C to 27°C between Taitung County and Tainan and in eastern Taiwan, and temperatures of 28°C to 30°C in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, it said.
The CWA urged people to remain alert to a wide day-night temperature gap.
The seasonal wind system is expected to continue affecting Taiwan today, with weather in the north and northeast remaining relatively cool, it said.
