Heavy rain forecast Monday for southern half of Taiwan

Taipei, June 15 (CNA) The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Monday issued heavy rain advisories for much of southern and central Taiwan, effective through Monday night.

The advisories, which warn of accumulated rainfall exceeding 80 millimeters within 24 hours or 40 mm in one hour, cover Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi cities, and Changhua, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi and Pingtung counties.

An extremely heavy rain advisory was issued for the offshore Penghu County, warning of accumulated rainfall exceeding 200 mm in 24 hours or 100 mm within three hours.

Elsewhere, sporadic showers are expected across Taiwan, with localized heavy rain possible in northern areas, the CWA said.

The CWA urged the public to be alert to thunderstorms and strong wind gusts. Residents in mountainous areas should watch out for landslides and falling rocks, while those in low-lying regions should remain vigilant against flooding, it said.

Meanwhile, temperatures across the country are expected to range between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius on Monday, the CWA said.

On Tuesday, the rain is forecast to ease, with only sporadic showers and some thundershowers expected across most of the country, the CWA said. However, parts of southern Taiwan may still see heavy rains, it said.

By Wednesday, the rain in central and southern Taiwan will ease to occasional showers, while other areas will be mostly cloudy to sunny with a chance of afternoon showers, the CWA forecast.

Daytime temperatures are expected to climb to around 30 degrees on both days, it said.

From Thursday through to the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday weekend, the skies will be mostly cloudy to sunny, with a chance of afternoon showers in northern Taiwan and mountainous regions, the CWA forecast.

Daytime highs are forecast to climb further, reaching 33-34 degrees Celsius across much of the country on those days, according to the CWA.