Another tropical system is expected to form in the Pacific on Wednesday with a chance of making landfall in Taiwan, a meteorologist said yesterday, as areas of Hualien County reported the worst flooding in half a century.
Tomorrow and Wednesday, eastern Taiwan would continue to see significant rainfall, and there might be localized afternoon showers or thunderstorms in western mountainous areas, with a chance of rain spreading to some lowland areas, independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said yesterday.
People are advised to be cautious of flooding caused by several days of heavy rainfall, he said.
Photo courtesy of the Yuli Township Office
In addition, forecasts indicate that another tropical system is to form by Wednesday, with the European model showing a 40 percent chance of it impacting northern Taiwan, with a 70 percent chance of it turning northward east of Taiwan, Wu said.
From midnight on Friday until 3pm yesterday, Hualien County’s Fuli Township (富里) received 525mm of accumulated rainfall, while Yuli Township (玉里) received 485.5mm, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed.
Yuli Township Mayor Kung Wen-chun said that due to the town’s mountainous surroundings, heavy rain quickly flowed into the Siuguluan River before it could be properly drained, causing flooding in nearby farmlands and residences.
“This has not happened in 52 years,” Kung said.
Fuli Township Mayor Chiang Tung-cheng (江東成) said that heavy rains led to multiple major road collapses, blocking traffic in the area, and efforts to clear the roads are already under way.
As road repairs are ongoing, Chiang urged residents to stay alert to weather changes and road conditions, avoid areas with collapsed roads and cooperate with repair efforts.
CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said that coastal areas in northeast and southern Taiwan should be prepared for potential seawater intrusions and localized flooding over the next few days.
The CWA lifted its sea warning for Tropical Storm Wipha at 5:30pm on Saturday.
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