The nation will be celebrating Dragon Boat Festival amid rainy and humid conditions this year, as the Central Weather Bureau yesterday forecasted that heavy rain will continue throughout the week.
The bureau has also issued a nationwide flood warning. Torrential rain is expected to hit Penghu County and central and northeastern Taiwan. Residents in Miaoli, Taichung, Changhwa, Yunlin and Chiayi counties were also alerted to the precipitation.
The rain, brought by a stationary front lingering above the island, caused minor chaos over the weekend. Three underground tunnels in the Miaoli City were flooded, forcing motorists to bypass the area. No deaths and injuries were reported as of press time.
Junior-high school students in Taichung and Changhwa counties struggled to arrive on time for a basic academic test yesterday morning, as the rain caused traffic jams around the areas in which the tests took place. The organizers said that 570 students had missed the test.
The rain's effect is expected to spread into other areas. The bureau cautioned residents in mountainous regions about the possibility of landslides and torrents.
Vice Premier Tsai Ing-wen (
Tsai said that the Water Resources Agency and the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau should take charge of closely monitoring disasters around the country and report them to the administration.
She said that agencies should also pay attention to unfinished public construction projects and take action to prevent damage.
She told local governments to stock up on disaster relief equipment and take note of the latest information about any disasters.
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