Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, which means it''s that time of year again to pull up a lawn chair and bask in the moonlight. This year''s harvest moon will appear big and low in the sky, reaching a maximum altitude of just 57 degrees above the horizon. But if you''re in central or southern Taiwan, you might find your view compromised by heavy cloud cover. We have the forecast for Mid-Autumn and the week ahead.

With the sun beating down, it''s a hot and stifling day here in Northern Taiwan. Under the impact of the Pacific high, most parts of Taiwan saw high temps and clear skies.

But brief afternoon thunderstorms are in store Tuesday on Mid-Autumn Festival, as well as Wednesday. Later on Friday, the fall season''s first northeasterly winds are due to blow in, bringing overcast skies and localized showers to the north and northeast coast. Cooler temps are expected across Northern Taiwan.

Wang Chun-hsien
CWB forecaster
There is indeed a high-pressure zone moving in from the north. But it''s still relatively high up, so Taiwan''s weather will mainly be affected by the Pacific high. As for wind fields, we''re looking at mostly easterly winds with some mild northeasterly winds. So overall, the weather will be stable. The Central Weather Bureau will keep monitoring changes in the situation with the high-pressure zone to the north and the Pacific high.

This Mid-Autumn Festival, the full moon will hang relatively low in the sky. It''ll reach a maximum altitude of just 57 degrees, which means it''ll be sure to catch your eye.

A private forecasting firm has compiled a ranking of the best places to moongaze. Due to high chance of cloudy skies, central and southern Taiwan were ranked just three stars out of five. The north and east earned four stars, meaning they afford a high chance of seeing the moon. Meanwhile, the Central Weather Bureau says the later it gets, the better the view, so why not go out for a midnight stroll?