Heavy rains from nearby typhoon pound Taiwan, 200 to be evacuated on east coast

TAIPEI: Heavy rains from a passing typhoon caused localised flooding in Taipei and parts of southern Taiwan on Thursday, while ​more than 200 people on the east coast will ‌be evacuated ahead of a possible breach of a barrier lake in the mountains.

Although Typhoon Mekkhala, which is heading towards Japan, will not make direct ​landfall in Taiwan, its outer bands are bringing torrential ​rain to parts of the island, especially in Kaohsiung ⁠and Pingtung in the south.

Pingtung’s government ordered all offices and schools ​closed on Thursday afternoon, while neighbouring Kaohsiung did the same for ​two mountainous areas. In one area of the Neihu suburb of Taipei, flood waters nearly submerged cars.

While no casualties have been reported so far, in ​the eastern coastal county of Hualien the government is evacuating ​more than 200 people in two townships which are downstream from a rapidly ‌filling ⁠barrier lake above it in the mountains.

Barrier lakes are formed when rocks, landslides or other natural blockages make a dam across a river, normally in a valley, blocking and holding back water, hindering ​or even stopping ​natural drainage.

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Last ⁠year 19 people died in a different part of Hualien when another barrier lake breached its banks ​during Super Typhoon Ragasa, sending a wall of water ​and ⁠mud into people’s home.

Rain is forecast to continue over Taiwan for at least the next week, though it will gradually ease.

Precipitation is not ⁠all ​bad news for Taiwan, which relies on ​the traditional summer and autumn typhoon season to fill up its reservoirs after what ​are typically dry winters.