Torrential rain from passing storm shuts down parts of Taiwan and Japan

(Reuters)

TAIPEI/TOKYO, June 26 – Torrential rains from a passing tropical storm shut ‌down a swathe of southern and parts of northern Taiwan on Friday, leaving more than 5 million people off work or school, while neighbouring Japan issued flooding and landslide warnings.

Typhoon Mekkhala, now a tropical storm and nearing southern Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, did not ​make direct landfall in Taiwan, but its outer bands have brought heavy rain to parts of the ​island, especially in Kaohsiung, Tainan and Pingtung in the south.

The governments of all three Taiwanese ⁠regions, where more than 5 million people live, ordered offices and schools closed on Friday. Severe flooding in ​Tainan shut down a section of the main north-south railway line.

The northern Taiwanese city of Hsinchu, home to the ​world’s largest contract chipmaker, TSMC (2330.TW), opens new tab, said that from noon (0400 GMT), it would also close offices and schools. TSMC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Heavy rain and strong winds also lashed wide areas of Japan, which issued high-level warnings for landslides, ​flooding and swollen rivers in parts of the western and southern regions, and an evacuation order for 2.2 ​million residents.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that a stationary seasonal rain front, combined with warm, moist air feeding into it, was ‌causing intense ⁠rainfall, particularly across western Japan.

More than 200 flights were cancelled, dozens of train lines halted and many expressways closed, according to Japan’s land ministry. Toyota (7203.T), opens new tab suspended a factory in the southern region of Kyushu on Thursday afternoon through the first shift on Friday, with a decision for the second shift due later.

In Taiwan, no casualties have been ​reported but authorities in ​Hualien county are evacuating nearly ⁠200 residents from two townships downstream of a rapidly filling barrier lake 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.