Torrential downpours yesterday caused power cuts and damaged roads in the south of Taiwan, local governments reported, as a plum rain front, accompanied by southwesterly winds, battered the nation.
The heavy rain and winds downed power lines in Kaohsiung, leaving Namasiya District (那瑪夏) without electricity yesterday morning.
The power was restored in phases before noon.
Photo courtesy of Chien Huan-tsung via CNA
Rockslides and fallen trees were reported in mountainous areas of Kaohsiung, while schools and offices were closed in several districts in the city due to the weather.
About 1,000 mountain residents in Kaohsiung were evacuated after the weather front dumped about 200mm of rain on the area between midnight on Thursday and noon yesterday.
In neighboring Pingtung County, flooding was reported in urban and low-lying areas.
Photo: CNA
In Nantou County, traffic was disrupted in the morning by mudslides on county roads, but they have since been cleared, the county government said.
The Central Weather Bureau said that the heaviest downpours were in the mountainous areas of Kaohsiung and Pingtung, where the rainfall over a 24-hour period exceeded 350mm.
The bureau defines extremely heavy rain as accumulated rainfall of 200mm or more within 24 hours; torrential rain refers to accumulated rainfall of 350mm or more; and extremely torrential rain is accumulated rainfall of 500mm or more.
The downpours are likely to continue into the weekend, the bureau said.
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