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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Disasters & Emergencies

Taiwan's Taitung hit by extreme weather: sandstorms, heat, and rain in one day

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A typhoon caused extreme weather in Taitung, Taiwan, with temperatures soaring to 36 degrees Celsius and severe sandstorms reducing visibility to less than 50 meters.
  • The sandstorms made breathing difficult for residents, forcing the suspension of a local tribal ceremony.
  • The extreme weather shifted rapidly, with heavy rain arriving in the afternoon, washing away the accumulated sand and mud.

Taitung, Taiwan, experienced a dramatic shift in weather on Friday, with a single day encompassing sunshine, extreme heat, sandstorms, and heavy rain. The day began with clear skies, allowing for a local tribal ceremony in the morning. However, by noon, the weather took a severe turn as a typhoon's influence caused hot winds to descend from the Central Mountain Range, pushing temperatures above 36 degrees Celsius.

If the hot wind comes, we will deal with it, but the ceremony must go on.

— Lin LihanThe chairman of the Balayabay tribe in Luye, Taitung, initially expressed confidence that the weather would be suitable for the annual ceremony.

The most alarming development was a severe sandstorm that swept through the Longitudinal Valley. Visibility dropped to below 50 meters, making breathing difficult for residents and leading to the suspension of the tribal ceremony. Local elders described the situation as unprecedented and frightening, with dust clouds obscuring the sun and hindering respiration.

I have lived so long, and this is the first time I have encountered such a terrifying situation.

— Local elderAn elder described the sudden onset of the sandstorm and its impact on the ceremony.

The intense sandstorm, described by some as having a "lethal dose" of dust, affected several villages. The phenomenon was exacerbated by the geographical location of one village, situated in a river bend where sand from the Beinan River accumulated. The situation was so severe that a well-known landmark, the Zhongxing guard post, had its railway bridge obscured by the swirling sand.

I couldn't breathe, I felt like I was going to die. This dust is on a lethal scale.

— Local residentA resident described the immediate and severe impact of the sandstorm on their ability to breathe.

Fortunately, the extreme conditions were short-lived. By early afternoon, heavy rain began to fall across Taitung, from the South-Link Highway to the city and the Longitudinal Valley. The rain washed away the sand and mud, offering relief to the residents. The rapid transition from dry heat and sandstorms to a downpour left many feeling like they had experienced a "sauna," with one resident humorously likening the muddy coating on their bodies to that of a "beggar's chicken."

Today's weather in Taitung was not a storm, but it was more stimulating than a sauna.

— Local residentA resident described the extreme and rapid weather changes experienced throughout the day.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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