Taiwan prepares for Typhoon Gaemi, stops work and cancels flights

Gaemi, the first typhoon of the season to hit Taiwan, is expected to make landfall on the northeast coast in the early evening of July 24, according to the island’s Central Meteorological Administration.

YILAN, Taiwan — Taiwan was in a standstill on Wednesday, July 24, in anticipation of the impending arrival of Typhoon Gaemi: financial markets closed, residents were given the day off, flights were canceled and the military was put on alert as torrential rains and strong winds were forecast.

Gaemi, the first typhoon of the season to hit Taiwan, is expected to make landfall on the northeast coast early Wednesday evening, according to the island’s Central Meteorological Administration.

The typhoon is currently classified as moderate by Taiwan and is expected to move across the Taiwan Strait and reach the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian late Friday afternoon.

In rural Yilan County, where the typhoon will first make landfall, wind and rain increased in intensity, leaving breakfast restaurants closed and streets largely empty.

“This could be the most severe typhoon in recent years,” fishing boat captain Hung Chun told Reuters, adding that Yilan port in Suao was full of boats seeking shelter.

“It is moving directly towards the east coast and if it makes landfall here, the damage would be enormous.”

Work and school have been suspended across Taiwan, and the streets of the capital Taipei are almost deserted during the usual rush hour amid gusty rain.

The Ministry of Transport announced that almost all domestic flights and 201 international flights had been cancelled.

All rail operations will be suspended from midday (04:00 GMT), but high-speed trains connecting northern and southern Taiwan will continue to operate, it said.

However, TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a key supplier to Apple, expects its factories to maintain normal production during the typhoon, adding that routine preparation procedures have been initiated.

Soldiers are ready

Some mountainous counties in central and southern Taiwan are expected to receive total rainfall of up to 1,800 mm (70 inches) during the typhoon, the weather agency said.

More than 2,000 people have been evacuated from sparsely populated mountainous regions, the government said. There is a high risk of landslides in these regions due to the “extremely torrential rains.”

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it was ready to assist with disaster relief and had placed 29,000 soldiers on standby.

Although this year’s Han Kuang War Games were severely affected by the typhoon, they were not cancelled. On Wednesday morning, live-fire exercises took place as planned on the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall in Fujian, China, late Thursday.

Gaemi, whose cloud system stretches across the western Pacific, northern Philippines and parts of the South China Sea, is then expected to move north, bringing rain to provinces such as Hubei, Henan and even Hebei.

As Gaemi moves over land, it will lose strength and structure, but its remnants could still bring days of rain to northern Chinese provinces, which were hit by historic rainfall following a typhoon just a year ago and suffered enormous economic damage.

Gaemi and a southwest monsoon brought heavy rains to the Philippine capital region and northern provinces on Wednesday, prompting authorities to halt work and classes while suspending stock and foreign exchange trading.

While typhoons can be extremely destructive, Taiwan also relies on them to replenish water reserves after the traditionally drier winter months, particularly in the southern part of the island. – Rappler.com