The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued warnings for heavy rain and occasional storms for most parts of the nation as a weather front was to move across Taiwan overnight.
An extremely heavy rain warning was issued for Tainan, where rainfall could exceed 200mm in 24 hours or 100mm in three hours.
A heavy rain warning is in effect for nearly all other areas of Taiwan, except for low-lying regions in Taitung County, and the outlying counties of Lienchiang and Kinmen.
Photo: CNA
The areas can expect 80mm of rainfall in 24 hours or 40mm in three hours, with forecasters warning of sudden extreme downpours, the CWA said.
The rainy weather is expected to continue until Friday, with temperatures gradually dropping, as seasonal winds strengthen and a cold air mass arrives, it said.
In addition, if temperature and moisture conditions align, light snowfall is possible in the mountains of northern and central Taiwan between Friday and Saturday, forecasters said.
Meanwhile, severe weather yesterday caused transportation disruptions nationwide.
Penghu Airport suspended operations from 4:20pm to 6pm due to storms, while Nangan and Beigan airports in Matsu were closed from Monday to yesterday because of heavy rain and fog.
Taima Star ferry services between Keelung and Matsu are to be suspended from today to Friday due to rough seas.
Meanwhile, hail was reported in several areas across the nation yesterday afternoon, disrupting traffic, according to local officials.
In Taichung’s mountainous Heping District (和平), hail started to fall at 4:45 pm and continued for about 10 minutes. Two buses, one heading up and the other down the mountain turned back to avoid endangering their 20 passengers.
Chang Yu-ming (張裕閔), an employee at the Highway Bureau who manages the Guguan road section, said 30 vehicles were waiting to be allowed to continue along the Central Cross-island Highway after the hail stopped.
The hail also caused a mudslide, with bureau staff supervising the passing of 37 vehicles at reduced speeds. However, one truck was unable to pass and had to turn back, Chang said.
In Miaoli County, several townships reported hail around 5 pm, and a utility pole fell over in Shihtan Township (獅潭) taking down several street trees.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, hail measuring from 3-9 millimeters in diameter fell intermittently from 4:30 to 5:40 pm, according to locals.
The icy roads also caused several cars to skid off the road, locals said, with police sent to assist at last one such motorist.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or