Heavy rain that has already caused rockfalls, mudslides, and flooding in central and southern districts of Taiwan today is just a prelude to what’s to come as a stationary front is expected to hover over the island from Tuesday to Thursday, according to weather forecasts. Rockfalls, landslides, floods, and road washouts have been reported in Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, Changhua County, and Chiayi County as thunderstorms brought intense rain to areas that were already waterlogged in central and southern districts

Taiwan will begin to be affected by the first rainy season Meiyu front starting Saturday, bringing significant rainfall that will help to relieve the current drought, according to meteorologist Der-Romg Wu (吳德榮), writing in his column Boss Weather News for SETN. The former Central Weather Bureau Forecasting Center director said that the stationary front that affected Taiwan Sunday and Monday, has now weakened and moved northward. There is still a chance of brief, isolated showers or thunderstorms, mainly in mountainous

The Central Weather Bureau has warned that a Meiyu front will begin to affect Taiwan, bringing heavy rain starting in the southern counties tomorrow, and gradually moving north and intensifying. The front will affect the whole island until at least Sunday. The Meiyu front is expected to be the first significant rainfall of the East Asian rainy season, called “plum rain” in Chinese and Japanese. Plum rain usually begins in May, but this year’s late arrival has caused reservoir levels