Areas of Kaohsiung reported flooding after heavy rain last night that continued today, suspending school and work, leading to evacuations and closing highways across the city.
The mountainous regions of Namasiya (那瑪夏) and Maolin (茂林) districts, as well as four villages in Taoyuan District (桃源), were the hardest hit, having suspended classes and work today.
In Taoyuan, Maolin and Liugui (六龜) districts, 384 residents were evacuated after the Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation announced 16 “yellow” warnings for rock falls.
Photo courtesy of the Kaohsiung City Government
Daliao District (大寮) recorded 205.5mm of rain in 24 hours, reaching the threshold for “torrential rain,” Kaohsiung Weather Station data showed.
The region has also been hit with strong winds.
Police attended the scene of a fallen tree in Sanmin District (三民), although no other damage or injuries were reported.
Five schools in Taoyuan District were the first to announce closures, after which Maolin District suspended work and classes, with Namisiya District following suit at 12pm.
Provincial Highway No. 29 had numerous rockfalls, leading to safety concerns and the closure of schools and offices, Namasiya District Administrator Kung Hsien-chieh (孔賢傑) said in a statement.
Precautionary closures were implemented in Taoyuan District along the Southern Cross-Island Highway from Cinhe (勤和) to Fusing (復興) and from Meishankou (梅山口) to Siangyang (向陽).
The Jiasian Maintenance Section said that it would monitor weather conditions and conduct safety patrols before reopening the sections.
Amid a low-pressure system and southwesterly winds, all of Kaohsiung's 38 administrative districts had heavy rain.
The Kaohsiung City Government said that rain was forecast to continue until 8pm.
With a high tide within this period, there are increased drainage risks in coastal and low-lying areas, it said, adding that residents should take precautions against flooding.
In Tainan, the police department's Second Precinct received a report at 9am that a tree had fallen in West Central District’s (中西區) Nanning Street, crushing a parked car and blocking the road.
Police cordoned off the area and reported the incident to the city government to remove the tree.
The city said that as of 11am, Annan District (安南) had the most rain in the area, with 155mm, although authorities had not receieved any reports of flooding.
In Chiayi City, torrential rain had fallen since early in the morning, with multiple areas recording more than 100mm.
Rocks were blocking Provincial Highway No. 3 in both directions after a landslide at the 310.35km mark in Chiayi County’s Zhongpu Township (中埔). No injuries had been reported.
At 11am, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a heavy rain warning for rural Taichung, as well as Changhua, Nantou, Yunlin and Hualien counties.
It announced a torrential rain advisory for Chiayi city and county, Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Pingtung and Taitung counties.
People in mountainous areas in Hualien, as well as Orchid (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green islands, should watch out for possible heavy rain, the CWA said.
The public should be aware of the possibility of thunder and lightning on top of strong winds, while those in mountainous areas should stay alert for a sudden rise in water levels and falling rocks, it said.
Taiwan would remain on the periphery of Typhoon Butterfly through tomorrow, making the weather extremely unstable and bringing severe rainfall that would shift northward, independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said.
Localized strong winds and rainfall would continue in the south, Wu said, with a strong chance of severe rainfall tomorrow.
Temperatures would dip slightly due to the rain, but humidity is expected to be high, he added.
Total rainfall for the 48-hour period is not expected to exceed 400mm in low-lying areas and 450mm in mountainous areas, the CWA said.
The heaviest rain was expected today, before easing this evening and tapering off tomorrow, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said.
Additional reporting by Tsai Ching-hua, Chen Yen-ting and Ko Yu-hao
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