Heavy rainfall from a nearby typhoon lashes Taiwan, with around 200 people set to be evacuated along the east coast.

TAIPEI, June 25 — Heavy rainfall brought by the outer bands of a passing typhoon triggered localised flooding in Taipei and parts of southern Taiwan today, while more than 200 residents along the east coast are set to be evacuated over fears of a possible breach of a mountain barrier lake.

Although Typhoon Mekkhala is heading towards Japan and is not expected to make landfall in Taiwan, its outer rain bands are dumping torrential rain across parts of the island, particularly Kaohsiung and Pingtung in the south.

Authorities in Pingtung ordered schools and government offices closed this afternoon, while two mountainous areas in neighbouring Kaohsiung also suspended operations. In Taipei’s Neihu district, floodwaters nearly submerged parked vehicles.

No casualties have been reported so far, but in eastern Hualien county, officials are evacuating over 200 people from two townships located downstream of a rapidly filling barrier lake in the mountains.

Barrier lakes are formed when landslides or rockfalls block river flow, creating a natural dam that can trap large volumes of water and pose flood risks if breached.

Last year, 19 people were killed in Hualien when another barrier lake burst during Super Typhoon Ragasa, unleashing a surge of water and debris into nearby communities.

Rainfall is expected to continue across Taiwan for at least a week, though conditions are forecast to gradually improve. While disruptive, seasonal typhoons also help replenish the island’s reservoirs after typically dry winters. — Reuters