4 missing as torrential rain pounds southern, eastern Taiwan
Four people are missing after torrential rain lashed southern and eastern Taiwan on Monday, closing offices and schools, with authorities bracing for a typhoon to hit the island later in the week.
Four individuals have gone missing due to torrential rain that swept through southern and eastern Taiwan on Monday, causing offices and schools to be closed. Authorities are preparing for a typhoon set to arrive later in the week. A low-pressure system has been hovering over southern Taiwan for several days, bringing heavy rain and flooding.
The local governments of Kaohsiung and Tainan, which together host over four million residents, ordered the closure of offices and schools, along with the counties of Pingtung, Chiayi, and the mountainous eastern counties of Taitung and Hualien. Kaohsiung officials anticipate that the low-pressure system will result in more than 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) of rainfall over the next five days, which is nearly half of what the city normally receives annually.
The Taiwan fire department reported that three people are missing in Hualien and one in Tainan. Despite the ongoing flooding, TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, reported that all its Taiwanese factories, including those in Tainan and Kaohsiung, had completed their usual preparations for heavy rain and were proceeding with operations as normal. TSMC is also constructing new facilities in Chiayi.
Railway services across the eastern coast of Taiwan are experiencing disruptions, with trains to and from Kaohsiung and Taitung either cancelled or dependent on weather conditions. Express services have been halted. County chief April Yao of Taitung advised residents via Facebook to avoid going out unless absolutely necessary.
The Central Weather Administration separately stated that Typhoon Saudel, currently moving towards Japan's southern Okinawa region, is expected to pass near the northern part of Taiwan early on Friday before making its way to the eastern coast of China. After passing the Japanese islands, the typhoon is forecast to weaken to a medium-strength system, though it is not anticipated to make landfall on Taiwan but rather bring heavy rain to the area.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
