TAIPEI: Roads turned into rivers in northern Taiwan as rain lashed the island, with rescuers helping residents evacuate as they struggled against the torrents.

Cars, homes and businesses were left underwater after 600mm of rain fell in under 11 hours in some areas yesterday.

A concrete road bridge was smashed in half by a swollen river in New Taipei City, while thunderstorms forced Songshan airport in Taipei to shut down for two hours.

In northern Keelung city, rescuers used rafts to help evacuate residents and a young girl waiting at a bus stop was rescued after being washed away, Apple Daily reported.

Cars sank window-deep in the floods across the north and residents tried hopelessly to bail out their water-logged shops and houses.

Traffic came to a standstill as people abandoned their vehicles, with television footage showing passers-by desperately holding on to a floundering motorcyclist to stop her from being swept away.

At a kindergarten in Taipei, 53 children had to be evacuated as floodwaters poured in, local media said.

There have been no reports of injuries or fatalities so far.

The rain started late on Thursday and was easing up in Taipei by yesterday afternoon, but the island’s Central Weather Bureau warned that it would now move south towards the centre island.

Further heavy rain yesterday and today would particularly affect the west of Taiwan, which should take “serious precautions”, the bureau said. — AFP