‘It’s a rain waterfall!’ Incredible moment thunderstorm batters one part of a city while the surrounding areas stay completely dry in Taiwan

• Stunning weather phenomenon was captured by a drone in Chiayi yesterday
• One eyewitness said it looked as if the sky had a hole and rain pounded down
• While another web user joked on Facebook: ‘Did Thor just flush his toilet?’
• Experts say such powerful isolated showers are ‘normal’ in Taiwan in summer 

Residents of a Taiwanese city were stunned to see heavy rain pounding down on a small pocket of their hometown while other neighbourhoods stayed completely dry.

The amazing natural phenomenon was captured by a drone flown by a resident who described the scene as a ‘rain waterfall’.

Taiwan weather experts say the downpour was a regional thunderstorm over an extremely small area and is common in the subtropical island in summer.

A picture on Facebook page ‘Big and Small Things in Chiayi’ shows the powerful isolated shower at noon yesterday. A small part of the city was battered by the summer thunderstorm

The powerful isolated shower occurred at noon yesterday over the city of Chiayi in south-eastern Taiwan.

Xu Ming-dui, who took the film, said his drone had been flying about 60 metres (196 feet) above the ground and the weather suddenly changed.

He said it was as if there was a hole in the sky and seconds later rain poured down like a waterfall.

‘It looked spectacular,’ said Mr Xu who is a former village chief in Chiayi.

‘But we are also afraid of such heavy rain,’ he added.   

The powerful isolated shower took place over Chiayi city (pictured) in south-eastern Taiwan

Pictures of the thunderstorm are making waves on social media after being posted onto Facebook by a Chiayi resident.

‘Scary. Bombing,’ wrote one resident while posting pictures to Facebook page ‘Big and Small Things in Chiayi’.

Another viewer wrote: ‘A huge waterfall!’

A third user joked: ‘Did Thor just flush his toilet?’ 

Experts say that such storm conditions are ‘normal’ in Taiwan and the result of uneven moisture distribution.

According to Cheng Ming-dean, deputy director of Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau, such thunderstorms are short-lived and usually last for less than 30 minutes. 

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