Heavy downpour triggers widespread flooding in Tainan

Tainan, Aug. 2 (CNA) A heavy downpour battered Tainan in southern Taiwan early Saturday with flooding observed in many parts of the city, including Yongkang District, according to the Southern Region Weather Center.

The downpour occurred from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m., with Yongkang recording the highest hourly accumulated rainfall at 103.5 mm, followed by 90.5 mm on a section of National Freeway No. 1 in Xinshi District, and 83 mm in Anding District, the center said.

Thirteen of Tainan's 37 administrative districts, including Anding, West Central, Guiren, and Sigang, saw hourly rainfall exceed 40 millimeters -- meeting the threshold for heavy rain, the center said.

Due to the intense rainfall and overwhelmed drainage systems, flooding was observed in various parts of the city, it said, noting that main road underpasses in Siaodong, Siwei and Dongning have been closed to motorists as an emergency measure.

A total of 54 pumping stations, including those in Yongkang and Wenxian, were activated. As of 6 a.m. Saturday, they had pumped an estimated 3.27 million metric tons of water.

The city's Anding District recorded an accumulated rainfall of 192.5 mm as of 6 a.m. Saturday, following by Sigang District at 179.5 mm and Cigu District at 169.5 mm, according to the Tainan Water Resourced Bureau.