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Taiwan is bracing for Typhoon Gaemi today with financial markets closed, flights cancelled and offices shut for the day.
Gaemi, the first typhoon of the season, will make landfall on Taiwan’s northeast coast by early evening on Wednesday and move towards China’s Fujian province by Friday.
The military has 29,000 soldiers on standby as heavy rain and strong winds are forecast.
Schools and work were suspended across Taiwan, and Taipei’s usually busy streets were empty.
“Tomorrow, please stay at home,” Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an wrote on his Facebook page yesterday. “Gaemi, the first typhoon to make landfall this year, continues to strengthen.”
In Yilan county, the typhoon’s first landfall point, strong winds and rain shut down breakfast shops and cleared roads.
“This could be the biggest typhoon in recent years,” fishing boat captain Hung Chun told Reuters, adding Yilan’s Suao harbour was packed with boats seeking shelter.
Almost all domestic flights and 201 international flights are cancelled. Rail operations will stop, but high-speed trains will still run.
Over 2,000 people were evacuated from mountain areas due to landslide risks from heavy rain.
Eight killed as the Philippines battered by heavy rainfall and landslides
At least eight people are dead and more than 600,000 people displaced due to flooding and landslides in the Philippines caused by Typhoon Gaemi, which is locally called Carina.
The storm did not blow inland, but the intense rains they enhanced in the past five days have set off at least a dozen landslides and floods.
In the densely populated region around the Philippines capital Manila, government work and school classes were suspended today after rain flooded many areas overnight, trapping cars in rising floodwater and stranding people in their homes.
Stuti Mishra24 July 2024 05:01
Typhoon Gaemi heads towards Taiwan
Taiwan is bracing for Typhoon Gaemi today with financial markets closed, flights cancelled and offices shut for the day.
Gaemi, the first typhoon of the season, will make landfall on Taiwan’s northeast coast by early evening on Wednesday and move towards China’s Fujian province by Friday.
Schools and work were suspended across Taiwan, and Taipei’s usually busy streets were empty.
“Tomorrow, please stay at home,” Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an wrote on his Facebook page yesterday. “Gaemi, the first typhoon to make landfall this year, continues to strengthen.”
Stuti Mishra24 July 2024 04:49
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Typhoon Gaemi which is barrelling towards Taiwan. Stay tuned for the latest updates!
Stuti Mishra24 July 2024 04:33
