Intense thunderstorms across Taiwan proper on Monday night were brought by a fast-moving plum rain front, meteorologist Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said on Tuesday.
The front’s path was classic for the season, but only took eight hours to sweep from north to south, Peng said on Facebook.
“Fortunately, it did not linger in one place too long,” he said, adding that the typical plum rain front brings more total rainfall from sporadic cloudbursts.
Photo courtesy of the Taoyuan Department of Water Resources via CNA
Peng also recommended reinforcing buildings for more downpours and potential flooding, as “this will definitely not be the heaviest rainfall of the year.”
At the same time, the “very strong” front brought significant rainfall to Tainan and Kaohsiung, helping to alleviate drought conditions in those areas, Peng said.
Areas in Taoyuan reported serious flooding and power outages on Monday night, with six districts seeing more than 40mm in one hour.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Bureau
Yangmei District (楊梅) had the most total rainfall, at one point seeing 60mm in an hour, the Taoyuan Department of Water Resources said.
About 20 areas were flooded with water generally less than 20cm deep, the department said, adding that they gradually drained after the rain stopped overnight.
As the temperature has dropped to 22 to 25 degrees Celsius in northern and eastern Taiwan, Peng advised dressing appropriately and bringing rain gear for lingering showers.
Taiwan is to experience summer-like weather from Wednesday to Saturday, with potential afternoon thunderstorms in mountainous areas and temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, Peng said.
From Sunday, the nation might be affected by the outer bands of Typhoon Mawar, bringing rainfall to the north and east, Peng said.
The storm is on track to potentially make landfall on the US territory of Guam midday on Wednesday.
Already a strong typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 144kph, Mawar is expected to strengthen further as it travels over the Philippine Sea.
Currently on a westward path, a weakening Pacific high pressure system could push the storm north, although it is difficult to estimate its precise path, Peng said.
The storm could affect Taiwan between Sunday and Tuesday, he said, advising people to pay attention to developing news and exercise caution when engaging in ocean activities.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS