TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan hunkered down yesterday as a strengthening Typhoon Gaemi approached, prompting the shutdown of financial markets, the cancellation of flights, and the military to be placed on standby amid torrential rain.
Gaemi, anticipated to be the strongest storm to hit Taiwan in eight years, was set to make landfall last night, according to weather authorities. Gusts of up to 227 kilometers per hour were recorded near the typhoon’s center.
Tragically, one person was killed in the southern city of Kaohsiung, crushed by a falling tree, the local fire department reported.
“Gaemi is expected to be the strongest typhoon in eight years to make landfall in Taiwan since Typhoon Nepartak in 2016,” said Huang En-hong, a forecaster from Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.
In a public address, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te urged residents to prioritize their safety.
The severe weather led to the partial cancellation of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang war games, designed to test readiness for a potential Chinese invasion. However, an anti-landing drill proceeded as planned yesterday morning on Penghu island, located west of Taiwan.
Authorities evacuated more than 4,000 people from northern regions, particularly Hualien, an area known for its susceptibility to landslides.
By afternoon, officials reported nearly 60 injuries across the island due to the typhoon. Public transport ground to a halt, with trains and ferry services suspended, and hundreds of international and domestic flights canceled.
“We expect that the impact of the typhoon will be extended to four days [until tomorrow],” said Cheng Jia-ping, chief of Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration. He advised the public to “take precautions against heavy rain and strong wind.”
Gaemi was expected to cross the Taiwan Strait and hit China today, affecting the eastern Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, where authorities issued a red storm alert.
In Taiwan’s northeastern Yilan county, market vendors scrambled to protect their stalls with canvas, and shopkeepers taped windows as massive waves battered the shore. At a crowded harbor, a fisherman named Hsu secured his boat at a typhoon shelter. “I am worried – the boats are my tool for making money,” Hsu said.
In Taipei, government offices closed and streets emptied. Sandbags were placed at store entrances to block floodwaters.
TSMC, the world’s largest chipmaker, announced it would maintain normal production and had “activated routine typhoon alert preparation procedures” at all its fabrication plants.
Taiwan regularly faces tropical storms from July to October, but experts warn that climate change has increased their intensity, resulting in heavier rains, flash floods, and stronger gusts.
In neighboring Japan, officials in Okinawa urged residents to “exercise strong vigilance” against storms, high waves, and floods.
The Philippines declared a state of calamity in its capital region as monsoon rains, intensified by the typhoon, submerged large parts of Manila, triggering forced evacuations. A 28-year-old pregnant woman and three minors were among at least 13 fatalities across the country, with the deaths in Batangas province caused by a landslide.
