Typhoon Haikui has made landfall in eastern Taiwan, unleashing torrential downpours, whipping winds and plunging thousands of households into darkness as the first big storm to directly hit the island in four years.
Nearly 4,000 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas, hundreds of flights cancelled and businesses closed in preparation for the storm.
Taiwan’s central weather bureau said the typhoon was “at our doorstep” and by 3.40pm local time (0840 BST) on Sunday confirmed it had made landfall in coastal Taitung, a mountainous county in lesser-populated eastern Taiwan.
People hunkered down indoors in the dark, staying away from windows as strong gusts of wind sent toppled trees and dislodged water tanks flying in the air, according to an Agence France-Presse reporter.
“I think this time it is serious,” said Chang Jhi-ming, 58, in Taitung. “This is just beginning, the wind is just coming in and you can see trees toppling already.”
The typhoon has gathered speed since Saturday and at 3pm on Sunday had sustained winds of about 154km/h (95mph).
“Rain and wind will be most intense and its impact will be most obvious during this period” after landfall, said a weather bureau spokesperson, adding the typhoon would move into the Taiwan strait by Monday evening.
Across the island, more than 21,000 homes lost power, and while it resumed for most by mid-afternoon, about 9,000 were still without electricity when Haikui hit, including in Taitung.
Authorities have reported two minor injuries in Hualien county, a mountainous region where a warning of flash floods was issued, after a fallen tree hit a car.
The last significant storm to hit Taiwan was Typhoon Bailu in 2019, which left one person dead.
Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, said Haikui would be the first in four years to cross the Central Mountain Range running north to south of the island, a path that could lead to landslides in surrounding counties.
“I remind the people to make preparations for the typhoon and watch out for your safety, avoid going out or any dangerous activities,” Tsai said.
The streets in Hualien were deserted on Sunday, battered by unrelenting rain, and at a fishing harbour in north-eastern Yilan county towering waves slammed against the shore.
In Taitung, before Haikui landed, ripped up trees already littered the streets, street signs swayed under the strong winds and a restaurant owner tied down his signpost advertising seafood.
“I almost forgot what it’s like to be in a typhoon. What big winds!” Huang Jun-tong said, adding that when he woke up this morning he immediately went to his restaurant to make sure everything was protected.
“Yesterday, it was so calm that we did not feel like a typhoon was coming. Today, we feel it,” he said.
The military…
2023-09-03 07:13:41
Original from www.theguardian.com