Heavy rain warning issued for parts of central, southern Taiwan

Taipei, June 4 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has issued an extremely heavy rain advisory for Orchid Island and a heavy rain alert for parts of central and southern Taiwan.

The rain alerts, posted at 7:25 a.m. Wednesday, will be in effect through late in the afternoon, according to the weather agency.

The CWA said Taiwan would be prone to intense short-duration rainfall on Wednesday due to the influence of a stationary front.

Orchid Island, off the coast of southeastern Taiwan, could experience localized heavy rain or extremely heavy rain, while some areas in central and southern Taiwan, as well as the Taitung area (including Green Island), could see localized heavy rain, the CWA said.

The rain alert covered Taichung, Changhua County, Nantou County, and Yunlin County in central Taiwan and Chiayi City, Chiayi County, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, including the Hengchun Peninsula, and Taitung County in the south, the CWA website showed.

The agency urged people in those areas to be aware of possible lightning and strong gusts, as well as possible landslides and falling rocks in mountainous areas and flooding in low-lying areas.

Under the CWA's definition, heavy rain (大雨) signals 24-hour accumulated rainfall of more than 80 millimeters or 1-hour rainfall exceeding 40 mm.

Extremely heavy rain (豪雨) indicates 24-hour accumulated rainfall of more than 200 mm, or 3-hour accumulated rainfall exceeding 100 mm.

As of Wednesday at 10 a.m., the largest amounts of rainfall around Taiwan recorded during the morning hours were in Orchid Island (120 mm) and at the Kending Meteorological Radar Observatory (105 mm) on the Hengchun Peninsula.

For temperatures Wednesday, northeasterly winds on the northern side of a lingering frontal system will hold daytime highs in the north to around 24 to 25 degrees Celsius, while other regions will see highs of about 27 to 28 degrees.

The lows Wednesday will be around 21 degrees in northern Taiwan, and 24 to 26 degrees elsewhere, the CWA forecast.

Meanwhile, independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said temperatures across Taiwan are expected to rise day by day starting Friday as the frontal system weakens and moves eastwards.