Torrential rain from Typhoon Mekkhala shut down large parts of southern Taiwan on Thursday (25 June), leaving more than five million people off work or school as flooding cut sections of the island’s main rail line and forced evacuations.
Although Typhoon Mekkhala did not make landfall, its outer rain bands brought intense downpours to the southern cities of Kaohsiung, Tainan and Pingtung, prompting local authorities to close offices and schools across the region.
Severe flooding in Tainan forced the closure of part of Taiwan’s main north-south railway line, though the island’s separate high-speed rail network remained operational.
No casualties have been reported so far, but emergency authorities in eastern Hualien County began evacuating nearly 200 residents from two townships downstream of a rapidly filling barrier lake in the mountains.
Barrier lakes form when landslides or rockfalls block rivers, trapping water and raising the risk of sudden breaches.
Authorities remain on high alert after a similar barrier lake breach in Hualien during Super Typhoon Ragasa last year killed 19 people, unleashing destructive floods and mudslides into nearby communities.
Forecasters say heavy rain is expected to continue across Taiwan for at least another week, though conditions are forecast to gradually ease.
Despite the disruption, the rainfall is expected to help replenish reservoirs after Taiwan’s typically dry winter months, with the island heavily reliant on summer and autumn typhoon systems for water supply.
The death toll from a school shooting in Thailand has risen to nine after police said a 12-year-old girl being treated for serious injuries had died i...
More than 20,000 people have fled a fast-moving wildfire in western Canada, which has nearly doubled in size overnight. The province of British Columb...
Kazakhstan has released an Amur tiger into the wild for the first time in more than 70 years, marking the beginning of a long-term effort to restore t...
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 8th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are progressing and suggested an agreement with Iran could be reached “soon”.
U.S. President Donald Trump may have to accept concessions he previously opposed if he wants to secure a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to analysts, as negotiators move closer to a temporary agreement.
Typhoon Dolphin lashed Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people, disrupting flights and leaving more than 50,000 buildings without power, as China shut ports and suspended transport services ahead of the storm’s expected arrival on its east coast.
The death toll from a school shooting in Thailand has risen to nine after police said a 12-year-old girl being treated for serious injuries had died in hospital.
More than 20,000 people have fled a fast-moving wildfire in western Canada, which has nearly doubled in size overnight. The province of British Columbia declared a state of emergency over the blaze on Saturday.
Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH) says 14 people died on the Moroccan side during last week's mass attempt to cross into the Spanish-administered enclave of Ceuta.
Serbia will continue to support Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity while seeking closer economic cooperation between the two countries, President Aleksandar Vučić said on Saturday, stopping short of pledging sanctions against Belgrade’s long-time ally Russia.
One year after its launch, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) has emerged as one of the most significant diplomatic and economic initiatives in the South Caucasus, linking peace efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan with expanding trade and regional connectivity.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment