Flooding caused by heavy rain has disrupted railway services in western Taiwan, with only single-track operations available between Miaoli County’s Miaoli and Jhunan (竹南) stations yesterday morning, Taiwan Railway Corp said.
Taiwan Railway said that floodwater submerged tracks in Miaoli and Jhunan Township, causing some trains to turn back.
Rocks fell at the entrance of a tunnel between the two stations, it said, adding that it has set up an emergency task force to deal with the issue.
Photo courtesy of the Hsinchu County Government’s Fire Bureau via CNA
Rail services between Miaoli’s Dashan (大山) and Houlong (後龍) stations were suspended, also due to flooding, but operations on the western track returned to normal at about 7:10am as the water receded, it said.
Trains on the eastern track between the two stations ran at reduced speed, it added.
Rail services between Hengshan (橫山) and Jiuzantou (九讚頭) stations on the Neiwan Line in Hsinchu County were suspended because the tracks were submerged, Taiwan Railway said.
Photo courtesy of the Miaoli County Fire Bureau via CNA
Meanwhile, services at Taichung International Airport were affected amid thunderstorms, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said, adding that ground operations were suspended at 8:16am yesterday and lifted at 9:50am, with five flights delayed.
At 7:02pm, the airport again suspended ground operations due to thunderstorms, with services resuming at 7:18pm, the CAA said, adding that no flights were affected in that period.
Tainan Airport halted ground operations at 1:07pm due to lightning and heavy rain, it said. Operations resumed at 2:52pm, with four flights affected.
The airport suspended ground operations again at 6:40pm, as thunderstorms returned, it said. Services resumed at 7:25pm, with one additional flight affected.
In Hsinchu City, flooding affected two homes and submerged an underpass, while winds felled trees.
The city recorded 50.5mm of rain per hour, the Hsinchu City Government received said.
Miaoli also reported flooding around the Tongsiao Power Plant, with several roads and an underpass closed due to the flooding.
From midnight on Friday night to 5pm yesterday, the top 10 areas with the highest accumulated rainfall were all in Miaoli County, with total rainfall exceeding 300mm, Central Weather Administration rain gauge station data showed.
The area that reported the greatest accumulated rainfall was Sanwan Township (三灣), which had 360mm over the 17 hours, followed by Nanjhuang Township (南庄, 355.5mm) and Houlong Township’s High-Speed Rail Miaoli Station with 337mm, the data showed.
The weather system that brought all the rain would continue to affect the nation today, the CWA said.
There would be showers or thunderstorms in western parts of Taiwan early today, with a high likelihood of brief, intense rainfall and the possibility of heavy rain or localized torrential rain, it said.
In the east, there are expected to be occasional short showers or thunderstorms, it said.
As the front passes overhead, rainfall within a three-hour period might exceed 100mm, it said, adding that the public should be cautious when going outside.
Additional reporting by Peng Chien-li and Wu Liang-yi
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