The Eye on Taiwan news staff
Taiwan has been falling under the influence of a cold snap, which has not only blanketed high mountains on the island with snow but also killed 49 people so far.
Snowfall reaching 12 centimeters was recorded on Hehuan Mountain (3,158 meters) in central Taiwan, while an accumulated 8.6 centimeters of snow was reported on Yushan or Jade Mountain (3,844 meters), the Central Weather Bureau said.
Elsewhere on the slightly lower Taiping Mountain (1,950 meters) and Lala Mountain (2,030 meters) in northern Taiwan, snowfall was also reported, the bureau said.
Video courtesy of Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area
Video courtesy of Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area
By 9 pm Saturday, mountains lower than 1,000 meters, including the Datun Mountain at the west border of Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei also reported snowing.
In low-lying areas, the mercury dropped to a low of 8.9 degrees Celsius in Taoyuan and Hsinchu, northern Taiwan on Saturday, with temperatures of 9-11 degrees reported in all regions from Tainan northward and in Yilan, the bureau said.
The bureau urged people to stay warm as the temperatures would drop below 10 degrees across Taiwan in the next two days.
At least 49 people all over Taiwan had died from sudden cardiac death or exposure to the cold as of 5 pm Saturday, according to the National Fire Agency.
