Southern Taiwan Hit by Torrential Rain, Flood Warnings Issued

Southern Taiwan is grappling with severe flooding after seven hours of intense rainfall, with some areas in Pingtung County recording over 300 millimeters of precipitation. The downpour, which began early Wednesday, has inundated parts of Pingtung and Kaohsiung, with both regions accumulating more than 200 millimeters of rain since midnight.

The extreme weather is attributed to a combination of factors, including Typhoon Mikala moving northward, an approaching weather front, and strengthening southwest winds. The Meteorological Agency issued heavy rain and torrential rain warnings for five southern counties, including Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and Penghu.

Specific weather stations in Pingtung's Chunri and Jiuru townships reported over 300 millimeters of rain by 7:10 a.m. Kaohsiung also saw significant rainfall, with its Ruishan station recording 215 millimeters. The agency issued a Level 1 flood warning for several townships in Pingtung and Qishan District in Kaohsiung, indicating a high risk of flooding. A Level 2 warning was issued for other areas in Pingtung.

Furthermore, a severe thunderstorm alert was issued for Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung, effective until 9:04 a.m. Residents are cautioned about short-term heavy rainfall, strong gusts, lightning, and potential hazards such as flash floods, landslides, falling rocks, and reduced visibility.