Heavy rain to continue in central, southern Taiwan Thursday: CWA

Taipei, July 31 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Thursday warned of extremely torrential rain in central and southern Taiwan due to persistent southwesterly winds.

An extremely torrential rain advisory -- defined as over 500 millimeters of rainfall in 24 hours -- has been issued for Taichung, Nantou, Chiayi, Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

Heavy rain alerts have also been issued for other parts of the country, including Tainan City and Changhua County.

Southwesterly winds are expected to weaken later in the afternoon, but rain in central and southern Taiwan will likely continue into the following day, the CWA said.

At a news conference, CWA forecaster Chao Hung (趙竑) said Kaohsiung had received 927.5 millimeters of rain since Wednesday.

Rainfall was heaviest early this morning, with totals already exceeding 200 mm in Taichung, Nantou and Kaohsiung, Chao said.

The CWA warned that people in mountainous areas should be alert to severe weather, including the risk of landslides.

Heavy rain in central and southern Taiwan has also led to office and school closures on Thursday in parts of Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung and Taitung counties, as well as in Tainan, Taichung and Kaohsiung.

The Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC) said 3,705 residents have been evacuated due to flash floods, landslides and road disruptions in central and southern Taiwan following days of heavy rain.

Most evacuees have taken shelter with relatives, while 13 emergency shelters have been set up to accommodate 254 people, the CEOC said.

Meanwhile, a section of the Southern Cross-Island Highway collapsed late last night, sending a vehicle plunging into a valley with five people still awaiting rescue.

Eight sections of provincial highways are currently closed to traffic, while four others have been shut due to road blockages.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said continuous rainfall in central and southern Taiwan is expected through Aug. 4.

Starting Aug. 6, weather conditions are expected to stabilize, with temperatures reaching up to 38 degrees Celsius, Wu added.