Torrential rain in Taiwan kills four over past week
Maolin, a mountainous district in southern Taiwan, recorded 2.8 metres (nine feet) of rain since July 28, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Li Ming-siang told AFP.
That's more than Taiwan's annual rainfall of 2.1 metres last year, according to the agency's data.
The unusually heavy downpours were caused by a low-pressure system and strong southwesterly winds, Li said.
"The southwesterly winds have brought heavy moisture from the South China Sea to Taiwan," Li said.
Li said southwesterly winds were normally brought by typhoons affecting the island and seasonal rain in May and June.
This time it was caused by Typhoon Co-May pushing southwesterly winds further north as it swept past eastern Taiwan on its way to China, Li said, adding the rain was not linked to climate change.
The average rainfall across the island last month was the highest for the month of July since 1939, the CWA said.
The torrential rain follows Typhoon Danas, which hit Taiwan in early July.
Two people were killed and hundreds injured as the storm dumped more than 500 millimetres (20 inches) of rain across the south over a weekend.
"We rarely encounter a disaster of this scale," Premier Cho Jung-tai said during a visit to a flood-hit area in the southern Tainan City on Monday.
"From Typhoon Danas up to now, we've faced nearly a month of continuous and heavy rainfall."
The week of bad weather left four people dead, three missing, and 77 injured, a disaster official said.
Nearly 6,000 people were forced to leave their homes.
The state weather forecaster expects the rain to ease in the coming days.
Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October.
Scientists say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.
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France 24
04-08-2025
- France 24
Torrential rain in Taiwan kills four over past week
Torrential rain has lashed swathes of the island since July 28, forcing several thousand people to seek shelter, damaging roads, and shuttering offices. Maolin, a mountainous district in southern Taiwan, recorded 2.8 metres (nine feet) of rain since July 28, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Li Ming-siang told AFP. That's more than Taiwan's annual rainfall of 2.1 metres last year, according to the agency's data. The unusually heavy downpours were caused by a low-pressure system and strong southwesterly winds, Li said. "The southwesterly winds have brought heavy moisture from the South China Sea to Taiwan," Li said. Li said southwesterly winds were normally brought by typhoons affecting the island and seasonal rain in May and June. This time it was caused by Typhoon Co-May pushing southwesterly winds further north as it swept past eastern Taiwan on its way to China, Li said, adding the rain was not linked to climate change. The average rainfall across the island last month was the highest for the month of July since 1939, the CWA said. The torrential rain follows Typhoon Danas, which hit Taiwan in early July. Two people were killed and hundreds injured as the storm dumped more than 500 millimetres (20 inches) of rain across the south over a weekend. "We rarely encounter a disaster of this scale," Premier Cho Jung-tai said during a visit to a flood-hit area in the southern Tainan City on Monday. "From Typhoon Danas up to now, we've faced nearly a month of continuous and heavy rainfall." The week of bad weather left four people dead, three missing, and 77 injured, a disaster official said. Nearly 6,000 people were forced to leave their homes. The state weather forecaster expects the rain to ease in the coming days. Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October. Scientists say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.
France 24
17-07-2025
- France 24
54 people killed in 24 hours of heavy monsoon rain in Pakistan
Torrential rain has poured almost without pause across parts of Punjab province since Wednesday morning, causing urban flooding and houses to collapse. Rescue teams used boats to evacuate families from villages along the river further south in the morning, but the water had begun to recede by the afternoon. "Children were screaming for help, and women stood on rooftops, waving their shawls and begging to be rescued," said Tariq Mehbood Bhatti, a 51-year-old farmer in Ladian village. Residents living in low-lying areas near the Nullah Lai river that runs through Rawalpindi city, neighbouring the capital Islamabad, were ordered to evacuate after a sharp rise in the water level. "Rescue teams are on standby for more evacuations," a spokeswoman for the disaster agency said. "Residents of vulnerable areas should prepare emergency kits with food, water, and essential medicines for three to five days in case of an emergency," the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) added in an alert. The Rawalpindi government declared a public holiday on Thursday to keep people at home, with the national meteorological department warning that heavy rain would continue until Friday. Electrocutions, buildings collapsing Around 180 people have been killed, including 70 children, and about 500 injured since the start of the monsoon on June 26, according to the disaster agency. "In the last 24 hours, 54 people were killed and 227 injured across Pakistan, with the majority of fatalities reported from Punjab," the NDMA spokeswoman told AFP, adding that the toll had been counted at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) on Thursday. The majority of deaths were caused by collapsed houses and sudden flash floods, while dozens were also electrocuted. Monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, and runs from June until September in India and Pakistan. The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers, but also bring destruction. South Asia is getting hotter and has seen shifting weather patterns in recent years, but scientists are unclear on how exactly a warming planet is affecting the highly complex monsoon. Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its 255 million residents are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency. In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed 1,700 people. © 2025 AFP
France 24
17-07-2025
- France 24
54 people killed in 24-hours of heavy monsoon rain in Pakistan
Torrential rain has poured almost without pause across parts of Punjab province since Wednesday morning, causing urban flooding. Residents living near a river that runs through the city of Rawalpindi, next to the capital Islamabad, have been ordered to evacuate after a sharp rise in the water level. "In the last 24 hours, 54 people were killed and 227 injured across Pakistan, with the majority of fatalities reported from Punjab," a spokeswoman for the National Disaster Management Authority told AFP, adding that the toll had been counted at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) on Thursday. She said around 180 people have been killed, including 70 children, and about 500 injured since the start of the monsoon on June 26. The government of Rawalpindi declared a public holiday on Thursday to keep people at home, with the national meteorological department warning that heavy rain would continue until Friday. "Residents of vulnerable areas should prepare emergency kits with food, water, and essential medicines for three to five days in case of an emergency," said the government. In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed 1,700 people. © 2025 AFP
