Severe Thunderstorm Causes Major Flooding in Taiwan's Sanxia District

A powerful thunderstorm unleashed torrential rain on Taiwan's northern regions on Saturday afternoon, causing severe flooding in the Sanxia district of New Taipei City. The Beida Special Zone within Sanxia was particularly hard-hit, with images circulating online showing streets submerged under water.

The intense downpour, driven by strong convective cloud development, led the Water Resources Agency to issue a Level 1 flood warning for Sanxia, Shulin, Xinzhuang, and Banqiao districts. In Sanxia, the rainfall was exceptionally fierce, with the Central Weather Administration recording 81.0 millimeters of precipitation in just one hour during the afternoon.

Social media platforms were flooded with videos of residents navigating through inundated streets, with some expressing disbelief at the severity of the situation. Comments highlighted the preparedness measures, such as waterproof gates installed in community parking lots, now understood to be necessary.

Residents described the scene with phrases like "a river in front of my house" and "gurgling sounds," underscoring the dramatic impact of the sudden deluge on daily life in the Beida Special Zone.