Taiwan Shuts Down As Typhoon Gaemi Approaches

Taiwan has taken extensive precautionary measures as Typhoon Gaemi, with sustained wind speeds of 190 kilometers (118 miles) per hour, barrels toward the island.

Schools are closed, the stock market is suspended, and a typhoon holiday has been declared. The severe weather is expected to bring torrential rains and whipping winds to Taiwan’s northeast.

President Lai Ching-te, during a morning emergency briefing, urged citizens to prioritise safety as Gaemi, the first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan this year, approaches. “I hope that through our joint efforts, impact from 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,” he stated.

The impending storm has led to the cancellation of some of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang war games, which are designed to test preparedness for a potential Chinese invasion. However, an anti-landing drill proceeded as planned on Wednesday morning on Penghu island, west of Taiwan.

In preparation for Gaemi, more than 4,000 people in the northern regions, particularly in the mountainous and landslide-prone area of Hualien, have been evacuated. By the afternoon, nearly 60 injuries were reported across the island due to the typhoon’s impact.

Public transportation has been significantly disrupted, with trains and ferry services suspended and hundreds of international and domestic flights canceled. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration chief Cheng Jia-ping warned that the typhoon’s effects could last until Friday, advising the public to “take precautions against heavy rain and strong wind.”

In anticipation of Gaemi’s landfall, residents in Taiwan’s northeastern Yilan county witnessed massive waves crashing against the shore. Market vendors hurriedly secured their stalls, and shops taped glass windows as a precaution. At a harbor crowded with docked vessels, a fisherman surnamed Hsu expressed his concern: “I am worried about the typhoon — the boats are my tool for making money.”

Taipei’s government offices were closed, and streets were deserted as stores sandbagged their entrances to prevent potential flooding. Taiwanese chip giant TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, announced that it would maintain normal production and had “activated routine typhoon alert preparation procedures” at all its fabrication plants.

Typhoon Gaemi is expected to move through the Taiwan Strait and hit China’s eastern Zhejiang and Fujian provinces by Thursday, where authorities have issued a red storm alert.

The neighbouring regions are also feeling the storm’s effects. In Japan, authorities in Okinawa urged residents to be vigilant against storms, high waves, and floods. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, heavy downpours in Manila caused widespread flooding, and a landslide in a nearby mountainous province resulted in four fatalities.

Experts attribute the increased intensity of tropical storms to climate change, which has led to heavier rains, flash floods, and stronger gusts. Taiwan, accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October, faces escalating challenges as the climate crisis intensifies.