Offices, schools closed in southern Taiwan due to torrential rain

Taiwan experienced torrential rain on Monday, leading to the closure of offices and schools in southern regions, including the cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan, as well as counties of Pingtung, Chiayi, Taitung, and Hualien. The local governments issued this directive due to the heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding. Typhoon Saudel, forecasted to pass near Taiwan on Friday before reaching China's eastern coast, prompted officials to brace for a typhoon later in the week.

The heavy rain caused flooding, with the Kaohsiung government estimating cumulative rainfall over five days to exceed 1.3 meters, almost half of the city's annual average. TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, reported that its Taiwan factories, located in Tainan and Kaohsiung, had completed preparations for heavy rain and were operating normally.

The Taiwan Railway reported disruptions on the main east coast line, with trains to and from Kaohsiung and Taitung canceled, while local trains ran depending on weather conditions. Taitung county chief April Yao issued a warning on her Facebook page, advising people to stay indoors if they had no pressing matters.