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Welcome rain disrupts air traffic

A motorbike cuts through the water on a flooded street in Kaohsiung yesterday as parts of the city were inundated due to heavy rainfall. PHOTO: CHANG CHONG-YI, TAIPEI TIMES

Heavy rainfall in southern Taiwan yesterday disrupted traffic in the air and on the ground and added needed water to reservoirs.

An official of the Water Conservancy Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs said that certain areas in southern Taiwan have received more than 300mm of rain since Thursday afternoon.

The water-collecting areas of the Tsengwen and Nanhua reservoirs in southern Taiwan had received 98.2mm and 136.7mm of rain, respectively, by noon yesterday.

The Feitsui and Shihmen reservoirs in northern Taiwan had accumulated 48.85mm and 38.6mm, respectively, by noon yesterday.

The water level at the Feitsui Reservoir stood at 134.24m, while that of the Shihmen Reservoir was 212.96m as of yesterday afternoon.

The rains will help relieve the drought in southern Taiwan, although much more rain is needed to fill the reservoirs in other parts of the country, the official said.

While the rain was good news for water officials, the precipitation, combined with strong winds, disrupted traffic in Kaohsiung City yesterday morning, prompting the city government to establish a natural disaster prevention center.

The rain has also caused problems for farmers in Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties, as rivers in the area flooded their farmland.

Some flights in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Taitung were delayed by strong winds and heavy rainfall yesterday morning.

The Tainan Airport was closed temporarily three times in the morning and afternoon. Seven flights were cancelled as a result.
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