Pingtung records Taiwan’s highest August rainfall, nearly 80% of its annual average in one month

Pingtung saw so much rain in August that one month’s total came close to 80% of the county’s average rainfall for an entire year.

The Pingtung County Water Resources Department said Pingtung Station recorded 1,749.5 millimeters, the highest monthly total in Taiwan. The county experienced more than 11 days of rain as strong southwesterly airflow and a low-pressure belt persisted.

Several lowland monitoring stations also recorded exceptional totals. Linluo reached 1,703.5 millimeters and Linbian 1,496.5 millimeters, while rainfall in Pingtung Station, Fangliao, Chaozhou and Donggang remained unusually heavy.

August rainfall stood at about two to three times the historical average for the same period. Fangliao recorded 1,429.5 millimeters, or 3.10 times its historical average. Linbian’s 1,496.5 millimeters equaled about 3.02 times its average, while Chaozhou and Donggang each exceeded twice their usual levels.

Pingtung Station’s average annual rainfall is about 2,175 millimeters. By the end of August this year, its cumulative total had reached 3,555 millimeters, highlighting the intensity and concentration of the rainfall.