TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's northwestern regions braced for dangerous weather conditions as the Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象署), Taiwan's national meteorological agency, issued severe thunderstorm alerts early Thursday (April 10). The warnings targeted Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, and Miaoli County, while separate heavy rain advisories blanketed much of northern Taiwan, including the capital Taipei, as a slow-moving frontal system approached the island.
Meteorologists predicted concentrated downpours across northern Taiwan and along Keelung's rugged coastal areas, urging residents to prepare for potentially dangerous conditions. The weather agency cautioned the public about lightning strikes, powerful wind gusts, and rapid flooding in vulnerable low-lying neighborhoods. Weather officials explained that atmospheric convection patterns developing over the region typically generate severe thunderstorm cells capable of producing lightning, torrential rainfall, and occasionally hail, creating flash flood risks in watersheds and river systems.
Urban areas with inadequate drainage infrastructure face significant flooding potential as the storm system moves through, disrupting outdoor activities and creating hazardous driving conditions with reduced visibility. The weather administration specifically highlighted dangers for motorists navigating rain-slicked roads. Taiwan's mountainous terrain, which covers approximately two-thirds of the island, faces elevated risks of landslides, rockfalls, and mudslides, leading emergency management officials to advise residents to remain alert and avoid known hazard zones until the weather system passes.
