The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today warned of extremely torrential rain in central and southern Taiwan due to persistent southwesterly winds.
An extremely torrential rain advisory — defined as more than 500mm of rainfall in 24 hours — has been issued for Taichung, Nantou, Chiayi, Kaohsiung and Pingtung.
Heavy rain alerts have also been issued for other parts of the country, including Tainan and Changhua County.
Photo courtesy of Changhua Mayor Lin Shih-hsien
Southwesterly winds are expected to weaken later in the afternoon, but rain in central and southern Taiwan is likely to continue into the following day, the CWA said.
At a news conference, CWA forecaster Chao Hung (趙竑) said Kaohsiung had received 927.5mm of rain since yesterday.
Rainfall was heaviest early this morning, with totals already exceeding 200mm in Taichung, Nantou and Kaohsiung, Chao said.
The CWA warned that people in mountainous areas should be alert to severe weather, including the risk of landslides.
Heavy rain in central and southern Taiwan has also led to office and school closures today in parts of Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung and Taitung counties, as well as in Tainan, Taichung and Kaohsiung.
The Central Emergency Operation Center said 3,705 residents had been evacuated due to flash floods, landslides and road disruptions in central and southern Taiwan following days of heavy rain.
Most evacuees have taken shelter with relatives, while 13 emergency shelters have been set up to accommodate 254 people, the center said.
Meanwhile, a section of the Southern Cross-Island Highway collapsed late last night, sending a vehicle plunging into a valley with five people still awaiting rescue.
Eight sections of provincial highways are currently closed to traffic, while four others have been shut due to road blockages.
Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said continuous rainfall in central and southern Taiwan is expected through Monday.
Starting from Wednesday, weather conditions are expected to stabilize, with temperatures reaching up to 38°C, Wu added.
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