Thunderstorms flood Taipei streets, unleashing cockroach 'invasion'

Taipei and New Taipei City experienced torrential downpours on the afternoon of the 18th, with powerful thunderstorms transforming streets into vast bodies of water. The dramatic scenes were widely shared on social media, sparking widespread discussion.

One particularly unsettling video emerged from Hengyang Road in Taipei's Zhongzheng District, near the Ximending shopping area. A resident taking shelter from the rain captured footage of the road submerged and teeming with countless cockroaches. The insects, desperately seeking higher ground to escape the rising water, swarmed onto the covered walkways, a sight that many found horrifying.

The resident described the experience as being like a war correspondent, documenting the 'invasion' of cockroaches. The footage quickly went viral, eliciting reactions of disgust and shock from netizens, with comments ranging from "Going crazy" to "Disgusting." Some users humorously dubbed the flooded streets "Venice of Taipei" or "water city."

Taiwan's Meteorological Administration issued a national-level thunderstorm warning for eight counties and cities, including Taipei and New Taipei. The Water Resources Agency also issued flood warnings for Taipei and New Taipei, with several districts designated as Level 1 alert areas due to the rapid rise in water levels. The intense rainfall caused significant disruption, with many residents sharing firsthand accounts of the flooding on social media platforms.