Typhoon “Kami” lands in Taiwan

Typhoon Jiamei has made landfall on Taiwan’s east coast, bringing wind gusts of about 240 km/h (150 mph).

“Gamei” has made landfall near Hualien City and is expected to be the strongest storm to hit the island in eight years.

A woman has died after being hit by a tree.

Taiwan’s largest annual military exercises have been canceled, as have nearly all domestic flights and more than 200 international flights, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Authorities warned that one of the biggest risks comes from landslides and flash floods that could result from typhoons, especially on hillsides that are unstable due to typhoons. April earthquake.

On its way to Taiwan, “Gemi” also brought continuous rain to large areas of the Philippines, and floods turned the streets of the capital Manila into rivers.

With wind speeds of up to 240 km/h (150 mph), the typhoon was equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane in terms of wind strength and damage potential.

The government declared Wednesday a typhoon day, suspending work and classes across the entire island except Kinmen Islands.

However, major chip manufacturer TSMC told the BBC that their factories will maintain normal operations.

The storm was expected to hit farther north, but Taiwan’s northern mountains pushed the typhoon slightly south toward Hualien City.

The typhoon is expected to weaken as it moves through Taiwan’s mountains before re-emerging across the Taiwan Strait and entering mainland China.

A second landfall is expected in China’s Fujian province later Thursday. Rainfall amounts of up to 300 millimeters are expected, causing widespread flooding as the typhoon moves inland and dissipates.

Despite the strong winds, officials said Gemi’s main threat came from the large amounts of moisture it carried.

Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau has issued land warnings for all of Taiwan, with the worst storms expected on Wednesday and Thursday.

Taiwanese authorities warned that rainfall in the mountainous areas of central and southern Taiwan is expected to reach 1 to 2 meters in the next 24 hours.

In the capital, Taipei, supermarket shelves were empty on Tuesday night as people stocked up ahead of an expected sharp rise in prices after the typhoon.

The threat of the typhoon also forced the government to cancel parts of the week-long Hangguang military exercises planned for Tuesday and Wednesday, although they have repeatedly said the exercises will be “the most realistic ever”.

The Gami and southwest monsoons also brought heavy rains to the Philippine capital region and northern provinces on Wednesday. Work and classes there have stopped, and stock and foreign exchange trading has been suspended.

Metro Manila, home to nearly 15 million people, is in a state of disaster due to overflowing rivers and creeks.

Videos circulating on social media showed small cars floating chest-deep in water and commuters trapped on the roofs of buses.

The National Weather Service said rainfall typical for this time of year could continue into Thursday.