Taiwan: Offices, schools close in south due to torrential rain; chipmaker TSMC unaffected

Southern Taiwan experienced torrential rains on Monday, leading to the closure of offices and schools in several major cities and counties. The downpour, caused by a low-pressure system lingering over the region for several days, has also disrupted some rail services. Local governments in Kaohsiung and Tainan, home to over four million people, issued closure orders, as did Pingtung, Chiayi, Taitung, and Hualien counties.

The Kaohsiung government anticipates that the cumulative rainfall over the five-day period of the low-pressure system will surpass 1.3 meters (4.3 feet), which is nearly half of the city's annual average rainfall. Despite the severe weather, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, announced that all its Taiwan factories are operating normally. The company has implemented routine heavy rain preparation procedures at its facilities located in Tainan, Kaohsiung, and its new construction sites in Chiayi county.

Taiwan Railway reported disruptions along the main east coast line, with express services canceled and local train operations dependent on weather conditions. Taitung county chief April Yao advised residents to stay home if they had no essential errands. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration is monitoring Typhoon Saudel, which is currently heading towards Japan's southern Okinawa region. The typhoon is expected to pass north of Taiwan early Friday before making landfall on China's eastern coast.

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If you've got nothing on, for goodness sake don't go out.