Southern Taiwan has been hit by record-breaking torrential rains over the past week, causing widespread flooding, landslides, and destruction across multiple regions. At least four people have been confirmed dead, with three still missing and 77 others injured. Authorities have evacuated more than 5,900 residents from affected areas, with over 2,000 still unable to return to their homes.

The severe weather began in late July, driven by a powerful weather depression and intensified by southwesterly airstreams. In some areas, rainfall exceeded 2.6 meters—surpassing the region's average annual rainfall of around 2.1 meters in just one week. The hardest-hit regions include the mountainous areas of Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties, where roads have been blocked, homes submerged, and agricultural land washed out.

Premier Cho Jung-tai visited the disaster-hit city of Tainan on Monday, acknowledging the extraordinary nature of the rainfall. He announced that the Taiwanese government would propose a special relief budget to aid recovery efforts. Cho emphasized that the situation was compounded by the earlier impact of Typhoon Danas, which had already weakened infrastructure and caused massive power outages just a month prior.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai described the evacuation operation as the largest in the region in over a decade. He urged citizens to avoid mountain zones due to the high risk of further landslides.

Weather forecasts suggest that the heavy rain may begin to subside by the start of the week, but flood and landslide warnings remain in place. Rescue operations are ongoing, with emergency teams delivering food and supplies to stranded villages and clearing blocked roads.

This latest disaster highlights Taiwan’s vulnerability to extreme weather events, with climate patterns showing increasing intensity in both typhoons and monsoon rains. Government agencies are also assessing long-term strategies to strengthen disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.