As Gaemi approached Taiwan on Wednesday, bringing with it torrential rains and strong winds to the northeast, the island closed its schools, halted trading on the stock exchange, and declared a typhoon holiday.
Typhoon Gaemi also hit the Philippines and Japan, where government offices declared they would be closed for the day due to its sustained wind speeds of 190 kilometers per hour (118 miles per hour).
Around 10 p.m. (1400 GMT), it is predicted to land in northeastern Taiwan. During an emergency briefing in the morning, President Lai Ching-te urged everyone to “put safety first.”
“Gaemi is this year’s first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan,” Lai said.
“I hope that through our joint efforts, impact of the typhoon can be minimized. I also encourage fellow citizens across the country not to go out unless necessary during the typhoon, especially not to dangerous places.”
An anti-landing exercise on Penghu island, west of Taiwan, was held on Wednesday morning as planned despite the self-ruled island’s forced cancellation of part of its yearly Han Kuang war games due to bad weather. These exercises test defenses against a Chinese invasion.
In the northern regions, especially in Hualien, a mountainous region with a high risk of landslides, authorities evacuated over 4,000 people who were living in dangerous conditions.
By the afternoon, officials reported that the typhoon’s effects had hurt close to 60 people on the island.
On Wednesday, hundreds of domestic and international flights were canceled, and train and ferry services were suspended.
“We expect that the impact of the typhoon will be extended to four days (until Friday),” said Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration chief Cheng Jia-ping, adding that the public would need to “take precautions against heavy rain and strong wind”.
By Thursday, the typhoon is predicted to cross the Taiwan Strait and make landfall in China in the provinces of Fujian and eastern Zhejiang, where a red storm warning has been issued by the authorities.
