Taiwan's average temperature between this past December and February in the flatlands was 19.49 degrees Celsius, some 1.45 degrees higher than the annual winter average of 18.04 degrees, the CWB said.

The 2007 winter average is only .06 degrees lower than the highest average in the past fifty years, which is measured in 2001 at 19.51 degrees.

The CWB forecast that the average temperature from March to May will fall close to the annual average but that people should expect higher temperatures in April.

People should also watch out for thunder showers that traditionally start to appear in March and April due to cold fronts developing around the island.

Additionally, the CWB urged people to prepare for the early summer rain season which usually begins in May and has caused heavy flooding in the past.

Meanwhile, the CWB forecast cold temperatures starting next Monday with the arrival of a cold front. Temperatures will drop to 11 degrees in northern Taiwan and 13 to 14 degrees in central and southern Taiwan for two to three days, the CWB said.