Overcast skies cast gray start to 2012

The China Post news staff--To the disappointment of those eager to witness year 2012's first break of dawn, thick clouds and moisture blocked all possible views of the sunrise yesterday morning, said the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) and administration offices of national scenic areas across Taiwan, yesterday.

Despite the CWB's forecast that limited rainfall and thick clouds might be disadvantageous for watching the sunrise, many people still flooded to Taitung's Sansiantai (三仙台), Taipei's Fulong (福隆), Taichung's Lishan (梨山), and Chiayi's Alishan (阿里山), hoping otherwise.

According to the weather forecast issued by the CWB, the first break of dawn should appear at 6:27 a.m., and the bureau had prepared to live-broadcast the moment online from the weather station setup on Yushan, Taiwan's tallest mountain.

Despite the pleasant weather, however, the sunlight was completely blocked by the thick clouds, so the CWB took to broadcasting the chilly scenery of the highest point of Taiwan instead, wishing the nation a happy new year.

Lower at horizon-level, the earliest sunrise was estimated to appear at Taitung's Sansientai and Kenting's Lungpan Park (龍磐公園) at 6:35 a.m.. The East Coast National Scenic Area had even organized an event to welcome 2012's first sunbeam; due to the thick clouds, however, staff of the scenic area administration expressed their unfortunate feelings, as “it felt like the sun was right behind the clouds!”

Similarly, those participating in the sunrise concert organized by the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area at Fulong, Santiaogo (三貂角) also failed to witness the first moment of dawn.

At 6:38 a.m., Taichung City Mayor Hu Chih-chiang and those who crowded into Lishan were also disappointed by the cloudy morning. The sun was already halfway across the sky when the group finally saw it, “But at least we did see the sun light,” they said.

Those up on Alishan had taken pleasure in a musical festival despite missing the first moment of sunrise at 6:50 a.m., staff of the Alishan National Scenic Area pointed out.

資料來源: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2012/01/02/327694/Overcast-skies.htm