Taipei: Around 2,000 millimeters of rainfall fell in parts of southern Taiwan from July 28 to 9 a.m. Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Kaohsiung’s Taoyuan District recorded a total rainfall of 2,205 mm, while Sandimen Township in Pingtung County experienced 2,060.5 mm, and Nanhua District in Tainan observed 1,833 mm, according to CWA data.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Pingtung County government reported that 831 residents have been preemptively evacuated from mountainous areas. Of these, 576 individuals are staying with relatives in low-lying areas, while the remaining 255 are in shelters. CWA forecaster Chu Mei-lin explained at a press briefing that three factors are contributing to the continuous rainfall in southern Taiwan.

The first factor is the successive southwestern air currents that formed over the ocean and moved landward, affecting the western half of the island and outlying Penghu County. Secondly, southwesterly winds brought in unstable air that developed into convection currents over land, resulting in rain. Lastly, the mountainous topography of southern Taiwan causes orographic rainfall, leading to intense rain in the region, Chu explained.

Chu noted that a large-scale low-pressure system has been hovering over Taiwan since late July, causing persistent southwesterly winds. The intense rain peaked from July 28-31, with another peak occurring over the weekend. The CWA has issued precipitation warnings through Sunday to Monday morning.

Extremely torrential rain advisories have been issued for mountainous regions in Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung County, where accumulated rainfall exceeding 500 mm in 24 hours is forecast. Torrential rain advisories, warning of rain exceeding 350 mm in 24 hours or 200 mm in three hours, have been issued for Tainan, Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Pingtung County, and mountainous areas in Yunlin County and Chiayi County.

Warnings of extremely heavy rain, defined as accumulated rainfall exceeding 200 mm in 24 hours or 100 mm in three hours, were issued for Taichung, Changhua County, Yunlin County, Chiayi County, the Hengchun Peninsula, and mountainous areas in New Taipei. Meanwhile, Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung City, Chiayi City, Yilan County, Hualien County, Taitung County, outlying Penghu, Orchid Island, and Green Islands, as well as mountainous regions in Taoyuan and Hsinchu County received heavy rain advisories, warning of rain over 80 mm in 24 hours or 40 mm in one hour, the CWA stated.