Tropical storm Mekkhala wreaks havoc across Taiwan and Japan
Heavy rains from the outer bands of Mekkhala force millions to evacuate or stay home as floods and landslides threaten Taiwan and western Japan.
- Tropical Storm Mekkhala's outer bands caused severe downpours and flooding in southern Taiwan, leading to the closure of offices and schools for over five million residents and the shutdown of a major railway line.
- In Japan, the storm contributed to heavy rain and strong winds, prompting high-level warnings for landslides and flooding and an evacuation order for 2.2 million people in western and southern regions.
- The severe weather led to significant travel and industrial disruptions in Japan, including the cancellation of more than 200 flights, the halting of numerous train lines, and the temporary suspension of a Toyota factory.
Severe downpours stemming from tropical storm Mekkhala brought widespread disruption to southern Taiwan and neighbouring Japan on Friday (June 26).
Although the system, now nearing southern Japan's Ryukyu Islands, did not make direct landfall in Taiwan, its outer bands lashed the island's southern parts, especially Kaohsiung, Tainan and Pingtung.
Consequently, authorities ordered the closure of offices and schools, affecting more than five million residents across the three regions. The torrential rain resulted in severe flooding in Tainan, shutting down a section of the main north-south railway line.
Fortunately, no casualties have been reported in Taiwan. However, officials in Hualien County evacuated nearly 200 residents from two townships situated downstream of a rapidly filling mountain barrier lake.
Such lakes are formed when rocks, landslides or other natural blockages dam a river within a valley, hindering or completely stopping natural drainage.
Authorities remain highly vigilant, recalling last year's tragedy when 19 people died in a different area of Hualien. That incident occurred after another barrier lake breached its banks during Super Typhoon Ragasa, unleashing a wall of water and mud into homes.
Whilst the rainfall over Taiwan is forecast to continue for at least the next week before gradually easing, the precipitation is not entirely bad news. The island relies on the traditional summer and autumn typhoon season to fill its reservoirs after typically dry winters.
Meanwhile, heavy rain and strong winds have also lashed wide areas of Japan, prompting high-level warnings for landslides, flooding and swollen rivers across western and southern regions, alongside an evacuation order for 2.2 million residents.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that intense rainfall, particularly across western Japan, was being caused by a stationary seasonal rain front combined with warm, moist air feeding into it.
According to Japan's land ministry, the extreme weather led to the cancellation of more than 200 flights, the halting of dozens of train lines and the closure of many expressways.
Industrial operations were also affected; Toyota suspended a factory in the southern region of Kyushu on Thursday afternoon through the first shift on Friday, with a decision regarding the second shift due later.
Reuters
