Rounds of rain to heighten flooding risk across Taiwan into early next week

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather meteorologist

June 17,2017, 10:28:13AM,EDT

 

 

The combination of monsoon moisture and a slow-moving frontal boundary will result in several days of heavy rainfall across Taiwan lasting into early next week.
Several rounds of monsoon moisture originating over the Bay of Bengal will be pulled northeastward along the frontal boundary hammering the island with torrential rainfall.
These repeated rounds of heavy rainfall over similar areas will create a high risk for flooding and mudslides across the island with different areas being impacted the most on any given day.
This flooding threat comes after torrential downpours killed two people and caused travel chaos across northern Taiwan earlier this month.

Widespread travel delays are expected as downpours can quickly inundate roadways and result in flight delays or cancellations.
Never attempt to cross a flooded roadway as a mere 300 mm (12 inches) of fast-flowing water can sweep away a small car.
The nearly stationary frontal boundary that is contributing to this flooding threat is named the Mei-Yu front and is often responsible for very heavy rainfall during this time of the year.
“The Mei-Yu front is a semi-stationary boundary that forms during the late spring and summer across southeastern Asia and is notorious for triggering torrential rainfall,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Douty.
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Rainfall totals since Wednesday in excess of 250 mm (10 inches) will be common across Taiwan with local amounts over 800 mm (30 inches).
The initial downpours reached central and western parts of the island on Wednesday with rainfall of 75-150 mm (3-6 inches) occurring within six to 12 hours.
As the rain continued into Friday, totals topped 600 mm (23.60 inches) in the mountains of Heping District and Ren'ai Township in north-central Taiwan.
Taipei has recorded more than 130 mm (5 inches) of rain since Wednesday, according to data obtained from Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau.
The torrential rain has led officials to cancel classes at some elementary schools in Yunlin and Nantou counties and Kaohsiung, according to the Taipei Times.
"Tuesday into Wednesday, the front is expected to lift northward and ease the downpour risk," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said. The downpours should generally taper to some showers by Tuesday and Wednesday.