Downpours hit southern Taiwan, disrupt traffic

Sinying City in Tainan County was hardest hit during the 13-hour period from midnight to 1 p.m. Tuesday, receiving 410.5 mm of precipitation, far surpassing the 350 mm amount in a 24-hour day considered to be "extreme torrential rain."

Beimen Township in Tainan County, and Yijhu Township in Chiayi County, were hit with 271.0 mm and 242.5 mm of precipitation during the same 13-hour period, respectively, far exceeding the single day "torrential rain" benchmark of 200 mm.

Meanwhile, rainfall in Siaying Township (216.0 mm) in Tainan County and Puzih City (208.5 mm) in Chiayi County had also exceeded "torrential rain" levels.

Though the heavy rains on Tuesday were mostly concentrated in plains areas along Taiwan's southwestern coast in Tainan and Chiayi counties, the accumulation of rain in mountainous areas through Monday and early Tuesday were also taking their toll.

Over 300 mm of rainfall had fallen in Pingtung County's Majia Township and Kaohsiung County's Taoyuan Township during a 37-hour period ending Tuesday at 1 p.m.

The torrential rains disrupted traffic in many of these mountainous regions and even forced the closure of the sole highway leading to the popular tourist destination of Alishan in Chiayi County because of mudslides and falling rocks.

Traffic authorities warned people to stay away from mountainous areas until the rain stops.

The bridge linking Linyuan Township in Kaohsiung County and Sinyuan Township in Pingtung County, which was rebuilt after collapsing during Typhoon Morakot on August 8, 2009, was also closed because of surging river waters.

The downpours, however, have helped replenish the major reservoirs in southern Taiwan, filling Zengwen Reservoir to 45.75 percent of its capacity and the Wushantou and Nanhua reservoirs to 80 percent of their capacity.

Weather forecasters said the southwest pressure system bringing the heavy rains is expected to remain over most of Taiwan Tuesday before weakening on Wednesday.

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