Key Takeaways
• Thunderstorms halted all operations at Taipei Songshan Airport after 3:13 p.m., delaying flights up to 70 minutes.
• Dense fog closed Beigan and Nangan airports in the Matsu Islands until 4:30 p.m., causing major disruptions.
• Heavy rain warnings across Taiwan increased risk of flooding and landslides, affecting infrastructure and immigrant communities.
Heavy thunderstorms and thick fog caused serious disruptions to air travel across Taiwan 🇹🇼 today, affecting both domestic and international passengers. Operations at Taipei Songshan Airport came to a standstill when storms made it unsafe to continue, and flights to the Matsu Islands were grounded after poor visibility forced the closure of two local airports. These weather troubles also touched other parts of daily life in Taiwan 🇹🇼, with transportation in Taipei and mountain communities facing extra risks. As reported by VisaVerge.com, the challenges faced today highlight how the island’s weather can shape the experience for travelers and immigrants alike, especially when moving between the main island and its offshore communities.
Flight disruptions and unexpected closures not only delay people’s travel plans but can also impact families, workers, students, and those waiting to reconnect with loved ones. Let’s look at how today’s weather events unfolded across Taipei Songshan Airport, the Matsu Islands, and the broader implications for people in Taiwan 🇹🇼.
Thunderstorms Halt Operations at Taipei Songshan Airport
Just after 3:13 p.m., powerful thunderstorms rolled into Taipei, raising immediate concerns for passenger safety at Taipei Songshan Airport. This airport is central for those traveling within Taiwan 🇹🇼 and for short international journeys, especially routes going to Japan, South Korea, and China.
Safety is the number one priority at airports worldwide. As soon as airport officials identified danger from the storms, they did not hesitate to temporarily stop ground operations at Taipei Songshan Airport. This decision meant that planes could neither take off nor land safely until the risk had passed. Such emergency stops are rare but necessary under these extreme conditions.
The disruption was felt widely:
- Passengers waiting for domestic flights were left stranded, with flights run by Mandarin Airlines and UNI Airways delayed by as much as 70 minutes.
- Those planning to travel regionally from Taipei Songshan Airport—whether heading for a business trip or visiting family in Japan, South Korea, or China—saw their departures pushed back by up to 48 minutes.
The airport’s own flight information page showed a long list of affected flights, confirming how quickly storms can turn a regular travel day upside down. Since Taipei Songshan Airport acts as a hub, delays here can trigger more delays in other airports that rely on speedy connections and tight schedules.
Travel to Offshore Islands: Matsu Airports Forced to Close
While the storms battered Taipei itself, fog and low clouds caused fresh trouble in the Matsu Islands, which sit just off Taiwan 🇹🇼’s main coast. These islands depend on air service for daily life, economic activity, and connection to the larger cities.
Today, poor visibility forced two local airports—Beigan and Nangan—to halt operations, just as heavy storms did in Taipei. Both airports shut their doors by early afternoon:
– Nangan Airport closed at 1:07 p.m.
– Beigan Airport followed suit at 1:18 p.m.
For several hours, planes in and out of the Matsu Islands stopped flying. This pause hit travelers hard—especially those who rely on these flights for urgent family visits or time-sensitive work trips. Service finally resumed around 4:30 p.m., but even after reopening, low clouds made flying risky, causing more delays and keeping travelers on edge.
Recurring Weather Woes
These issues are nothing new for residents of the Matsu Islands, or for those flying to Kinmen—another offshore island group near Taiwan 🇹🇼. Every spring, especially from March through May, the skies above these islands often fill with thick fog. This seasonal weather can cause frequent taxiway closures and flight cancellations or delays.
Anyone living on these islands knows how quickly plans can change when a sudden fog sweeps in. Today’s events fit into this broader pattern where regular disruptions are almost as common as clear days, which can make planning ahead very difficult for local families, businesses, and government services.
Widespread Weather Warnings Impact Daily Life
The Central Weather Administration (CWA), Taiwan 🇹🇼’s main weather office, played a vital role in warning people about today’s dangers. Early in the day, the CWA issued several strong weather alerts:
- Extremely heavy rainfall warning: This covered New Taipei (outside the northern coast), and mountain areas in Nantou and Hualien. Forecasters warned that rainfall could reach 200 millimeters in one day, or 100 millimeters in just three hours. Such heavy rain threatens to flood streets very quickly.
- Heavy rain warnings: Taipei, Keelung, coastal districts in New Taipei, Yilan, and more mountain locations across Taiwan 🇹🇼 were all put on notice. Rain, paired with thunderstorms and low clouds, can cause conditions to get worse in a matter of minutes.
Traveling during these warnings is always risky. Heavy rainfall is especially dangerous for mountainous townships, where sudden bursts of water can lead to falling rocks, mudslides, or fast-spreading floods. In these areas, a small mistake—such as driving across a flooded road—can become a major emergency.
How Did These Disruptions Affect People?
Whenever transportation stops, there are real-life consequences for many groups, including:
- Immigrants and Workers: For those who live in the Matsu Islands but work or study on the main island, or in Taipei, a sudden airport closure can mean missed work days, lost income, or exam delays. It might also cause trouble for foreign workers returning from a visit home or immigrants trying to access government services available only on the main island.
- Families: For island families and households split between Taiwan 🇹🇼’s capital and offshore towns, these delays lead to missed reunions, postponed family events, and extra expenses for unexpected hotel stays or meals while waiting out weather delays.
- Employers and Service Providers: Businesses waiting on parts, supplies, or employees may have to rearrange schedules, compensate staff for missed hours, or deal with shortages as delivery flights are delayed.
- Educational Institutions: Students and teachers who fly between the main island and the Matsu Islands risk missing classes or important meetings, especially during the spring fog season. In the long run, frequent disruptions might even make it harder for educators and families to plan ahead or commit to certain programs if they know travel isn’t always reliable.
- Government and Rescue Officials: When the CWA issues heavy rain warnings, agencies preparing for possible landslides, river surges, or floods must stay on alert for emergencies that can occur in just a few hours. Poor weather can delay disaster response flights and supplies, making an already tense situation even more stressful for those in charge.
Impacts Beyond the Airport
Today’s severe weather not only hit Taipei Songshan Airport and the Matsu Islands, but also affected other daily transportation. For example, the Maokong Gondola—a well-known cable car in Taipei’s Wenshan District—suspended service for safety reasons. This highlights how vulnerable even non-air travel can be when storms or fog blanket the city.
When transportation shuts down for safety, this also limits access for tourists, students, and local residents trying to reach important sites, jobs, or appointments. It can also cut off routes needed for emergency services, especially in outlying regions.
Airport Operations: A Closer Look at Decision-Making
Airport managers and air traffic controllers face tough choices when severe weather hits. Their first job is to protect everyone’s safety—on the ground, in the sky, and inside the airport itself.
At Taipei Songshan Airport, as thunderstorms gathered overhead, staff followed strict rules for bad weather and quickly closed ground operations. They watched radar images, listened to weather updates, and coordinated closely with airlines. Planes already in the air sometimes had to circle or divert to other airports, while those waiting to depart stayed at the gate.
Similar steps were taken at Beigan and Nangan airports in the Matsu Islands, though in these smaller airports, the teams have to react even faster when fog rolls in. Pilots, too, must decide whether it’s safe to land or if they need to wait elsewhere until visibility improves.
The technology behind these decisions—weather radar, real-time updates from the Central Weather Administration, and airport safety protocols—helps everyone respond quickly and keeps accidents to a minimum. However, even with the best planning, the force of nature sometimes wins out, and travelers have to stay patient until conditions clear up.
For passengers and airlines alike, delays mean not just inconvenience, but extra costs, disrupted schedules, and a complicated chain of changes as tickets get rescheduled and crews reorganized.
The Broader Significance for Immigrants and Residents
For immigrants, newcomers, and international students making a new home in Taiwan 🇹🇼, today’s troubles send a clear reminder: understanding local weather patterns can be as important as knowing the bus schedule or where to shop.
This is especially true for those settling in the Matsu Islands or places like Kinmen, where seasonal weather can create real barriers to reliable travel. Many long-time residents expect trouble every spring, but for new arrivals, the reality of repeated delays and airport shutdowns may come as a surprise.
Getting familiar with trusted sources like the Central Weather Administration’s website (https://www.cwa.gov.tw/V8/E/index.html) is a smart first step for anyone living or traveling in Taiwan 🇹🇼. This official resource shares up-to-date warnings, forecasts, and advice for staying safe on the roads, at the airport, and in everyday life.
International travelers also feel these impacts. Someone flying to Taipei Songshan Airport from Japan, South Korea, or China might face sudden layovers or missed connections, raising stress when moving for work, school, or relocation. Planning extra travel time during Taiwan 🇹🇼’s rainy months can help, as can making backup plans for when the unexpected happens.
Looking Back—and Forward
Today’s storms and disruptions will pass, and planes will return to schedules as soon as skies clear. But the events at Taipei Songshan Airport and across the Matsu Islands fit into a long pattern of Taiwan 🇹🇼 wrestling with seasonal weather that shapes everyday life. Learning how to plan around thunderstorms in Taipei or fog in the Matsu Islands is not just a chore—it can become part of the shared story for everyone who calls Taiwan 🇹🇼 home.
Whether you are a newcomer learning the ropes, a local traveler, a business owner, or a government official, these moments reinforce the importance of patience, information, and smart planning. As weather risks keep changing, staying alert and flexible will make all the difference.
Strong airport rules and constant updates from the Central Weather Administration show Taiwan 🇹🇼’s commitment to safety, but nature’s power always deserves respect. From airport runways to cable car lines, and from flooded streets to busy immigration desks, today’s events affected thousands of people at once—and they serve as a lesson for the future.
For more news and updates on travel, immigration, and safety in Taiwan 🇹🇼, turning to reputable sources like VisaVerge.com and official government websites is always a good idea.
In Summary
- Thunderstorms brought all ground operations at Taipei Songshan Airport to a halt shortly after 3:13 p.m.
- Dense fog and poor visibility closed airports at Beigan and Nangan in the Matsu Islands during the early afternoon, with delayed reopenings.
- Domestic flights faced delays up to 70 minutes; regional flights saw up to 48-minute delays.
- Widespread weather warnings for heavy rain and flooding were in effect across Taiwan 🇹🇼, increasing risks beyond just flight disruptions.
- Regular weather issues, especially springtime fog and storms, continue to test travel reliability—especially to the offshore islands.
- Passengers, immigrants, students, businesses, and local officials all feel the pressure when air and ground travel grinds to a stop.
- Staying informed through official sources and planning for bad weather give everyone the best chance to cope with sudden change.
Paying close attention to airport updates, weather warnings, and emergency advice is not just smart for travel—it’s essential for the safety and well-being of everyone living in and moving through Taiwan 🇹🇼.
Learn Today
Taipei Songshan Airport → A major Taipei airport for domestic and regional flights to places like Japan, South Korea, and China.
Central Weather Administration (CWA) → Taiwan’s main meteorological agency responsible for issuing alerts and monitoring dangerous weather conditions.
Matsu Islands → Offshore island group near Taiwan, heavily reliant on air travel for access to the main island.
Ground Operations → All aircraft activities on the airport surface, including taxiing, boarding, loading, and preparing for takeoff or landing.
Heavy Rain Warning → An official alert indicating expected intense rainfall likely to cause flooding, issued by the Central Weather Administration.
This Article in a Nutshell
Today, severe thunderstorms and fog severely impacted air travel in Taiwan. Taipei Songshan Airport shut down, while Matsu Islands’ airports closed due to poor visibility. Hundreds faced delays, with ripple effects on immigrants, families, and businesses. Official weather warnings underscored the safety and travel challenges presented by Taiwan’s unpredictable, often hazardous weather.
— By VisaVerge.com
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