Typhoon Gaemi, which made landfall on Taiwan’s east coast, resulted in three deaths and left hundreds injured, according to officials.
Believed to be the most intense storm to strike the island in eight years, Gaemi hit near Hualien with winds reaching 240 km/h (150 mph).
The storm prompted the cancellation of Taiwan’s largest annual military drills, nearly all domestic flights, and over 200 international flights.
Prior to reaching Taiwan, Gaemi also brought heavy rains to large swathes of the Philippines, claiming eight lives there.
Officials are now cautioning against the heightened risk of landslides and flash floods, particularly on slopes weakened by a significant earthquake in April.
Among the three fatalities in Taiwan, one individual died when a tree fell on their vehicle, and another lost their life under an overturned excavator.
Authorities have relocated over 8,000 people across the island as a precautionary measure.
Gaemi’s initial touchdown in Taiwan occurred near midnight on Wednesday (16:00 GMT) in Yilan county on the northeastern coast.
The government declared a typhoon day on Wednesday, halting work and classes across the island, excluding the Kinmen islands.
On Thursday, with continued adverse weather, educational and governmental institutions remained closed, and air travel to and from Taiwan was halted.
Initially predicted to impact further north, the typhoon was redirected slightly south towards Hualien by the northern mountains of Taiwan.
As it moves across Taiwan’s mountainous regions, the typhoon is expected to lose strength before heading towards the Taiwan Strait and China.
Fujian province in southeastern China is bracing for a second landfall of the typhoon later on Thursday. The region, already affected by floods and continuous heavy rains, is expected to receive an additional 300mm of rainfall.
Multiple railway services in China have been halted due to the storm.
Despite the powerful winds, the significant moisture content Gaemi carries poses the greatest hazard, according to officials.
A comprehensive land warning has been issued by Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration for the entire island.
Officials in Taiwan have alerted that one to two meters of rain could drench the central and southern mountainous regions within the next 24 hours.
In Taipei, residents cleared supermarket shelves on Tuesday night, anticipating price hikes following the typhoon’s departure.
The impending typhoon has compelled the government to suspend segments of the highly anticipated Hang Kuang military exercises, touted as being exceptionally realistic.
While Gaemi did not directly hit the Philippines, it intensified the southwest monsoon, leading to substantial rainfall over the capital and northern areas on Wednesday. This resulted in the suspension of work, classes, and trading activities.
Metro Manila, with a population close to 15 million, declared a state of calamity due to overflowing rivers and creeks. Social media posts depicted small cars submerged and commuters stranded atop buses in deep water.
The national weather service has indicated that such rains are typical for this season and may continue through Thursday.
