A front hovering over the nation since Friday has brought torrential rainfall, floods and landslides which have left two people dead, five injured and two missing.
A Central Weather Bureau observation station in Kaohsiung’s Taoyuan District (桃源) measured 1.339m of rainfall between Friday and yesterday, the highest in the nation.
According to the Taoyuan District Office, average rainfall in the district is 2.7575m per year.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
It was followed by Chiayi County’s Alishan Township (阿里山) and Nantou County’s Shenmu Village (神木村), which saw rainfall of 1.1645m and 1.122m, respectively, the bureau said.
One of the dead was found in a culvert in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里) on Friday afternoon, after she and her motorcycle were carried away by floodwaters, Central Emergency Operation Center information showed.
Flooding also killed a man in New Taipei City’s Shimen District (石門), whose body was found on Saturday morning near his house.
Photo: Chen Wen-chan, Taipei Times
Meanwhile, three people in Keelung were injured. Among them was a child who was swept away by floodwaters while waiting at a bus stop.
The other two people sustained injuries while they were trapped in a basement.
Injuries were also reported in New Taipei City’s Gongliao (貢寮) and Shimen districts. The former involved a truck driver who was hurt after his truck overturned on a coastal highway. In the latter incident a man was injured in a landslide.
Photo: CNA
As of press time last night, rescuers were still trying to locate two people missing in Keelung and Nantou counties.
In addition, 15 mountain climbers were forced to take shelter at a forest workers’ dormitory in Shei-Pa National Park (雪霸國家公園) due to the rising level of a creek making it impossible to cross.
Incessant rainfall also caused 11 houses in Kaohsiung’s Taoyuan and Lioukuei (六龜) districts to collapse and be carried away by a river yesterday afternoon. No one was killed or injured, as the residents had evacuated in time.
Photo courtesy of the Third District Maintenance Construction Office
The nation yesterday began to gradually resume normal road, rail and air transport operations. In total, 20 domestic flights were canceled and five were delayed. Two international flights were delayed.
In addition, eight road sections on provincial highways No. 8, No. 14, No. 20, No. 24 and No. 29 remained closed to traffic yesterday due to road damage caused by landslides.
The front will gradually move away from Taiwan today, although chances of heavy or extremely heavy rainfall are still high across the nation, the bureau said.
Photo courtesy of the Third District Maintenance Construction Office
Cloudy skies are forecast from tomorrow through Thursday, although chances for afternoon storms remain high in some regions.
Photo: CNA
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old