Experts warn rainfall may triple in 20 years

The researchers said the continuing global warming and climate change will not only increase the frequency of torrential rains and floods but will also escalate the extensive damages.

They warned that heavy rains dumped on the island could intensify by three times within a period of 20 years.

It is almost impossible to resist the worsening flooding and escape from the subsequent devastation, they said.

Taking steps to cope with the disasters through making improved preparations will be the most sensible and effective strategy, they said.

Meanwhile, forecasters at the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) were bewildered by the second waves of flooding in northeastern Yilan County within one week.

Like most residents in Taiwan, they thought that the weather should continue improving after Typhoon Parma, which induced torrential rains and flooding in Yilan just several days earlier, moved to neighboring Philippines.

CWB officials said the new flooding could be attributed to the convergence of outer bands of Typhoon Parma and the northeast monsoon, increasing humidity from the oceans, and the landscape of Yilan County.

They noted that Yilan was surrounded by mountains in three directions with its east side facing the open sea.

The highly humid air coming from the sea will form into rains and fall in the county after they run into resistance and fail to pass over the high mountains, they explained.

But the forecasters said the rainfall in Yilan is expected to ease slightly today and tomorrow. But they said residents should still maintain high alert against flooding as well as mud and rock slides as rains falling in the mountain regions will continue causing rivers to overflow their banks.

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