The Central Weather Bureau predicts that beginning early tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, Taiwan will see showers and heavy precipitation nationwide, with torrential rains possible in the western half of the island. Precipitation may continue for a week or more.
In response, Premier Lin Chuan ordered that a Central Emergency Operations Center be set up at 6 p.m. today to coordinate government efforts and take the necessary precautions, saying that the central government is working closely with local governments to stay on top of the latest storm developments, and implement timely response measures.
The premier instructed government agencies and local governments to complete disaster preparedness measures as soon as possible, and requested that local governments raise their response level in timely fashion, and be vigilant about setting up emergency response centers when necessary.
For this particular storm, low-lying areas in the western half of the island need to be on the alert for extreme precipitation in a short period of time, as heavy rains at the beginning of this month have already saturated the mountains of central and southern Taiwan. This has increased the risk of disaster due to loose soil and rock, and calls for extreme vigilance to guard against hillside disasters, Lin said.
Because torrential rains can strike with little advance warning, the premier also called on the public to make all necessary preparations for heavy rains, acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, avoid mountain, seaside and river excursions and activities unless absolutely necessary, and cooperate with all government evacuation and supervisory measures to ensure safety.