Southern Taiwan Shuts Down As Typhoon Podul Nears Island; Hundreds Of Flights Cancelled, Thousands Evacuated

On Wednesday, many areas of southern and eastern Taiwan were shut down ahead of Typhoon Podul’s arrival in the region. The typhoon is expected to land in the area later in the day. Taiwan ordered mass evacuations, shut down schools, and cancelled more than 350 flights.

Taiwan Braces For Typhoon Podul’s Arrival

According to Deccan Herald, Typhoon Podul is approaching southern Taiwan with wind gusts as strong as 191 kmph. The typhoon is intensifying as it approaches Taiwan’s southeastern city of Taitung and is expected to make landfall later on Wednesday.

Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration has forecast about 24 inches of rain in southern mountainous areas over the next few days because of Typhoon Podul. Keeping the weather conditions in mind, nine cities and counties, including Kaohsiung and Tainan, have suspended work and school.

“Destructive winds from typhoon expected. Take shelter as soon as possible,” warning texts were issued in parts of Taitung on Wednesday. So far, there have been no reports of the typhoon’s impact in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei. After landfall, Typhoon Podul is expected to hit Taiwan’s densely populated western coast, before heading for China’s Fujian province later this week.

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Hundreds Of Flights Cancelled

The Taiwan government has, reportedly, evacuated more than 5,500 people ahead of Typhoon Podul’s arrival. On Wednesday, all domestic flights and a few international ones were cancelled. According to Deccan Herald, 252 domestic and 129 international flights were cancelled ahead of the typhoon’s arrival. International carriers like China Airlines and EVA Air cancelled flights on routes out of Kaohsiung. Some flights from Taoyuan’s international airport were also cancelled due to the weather conditions.

Due to its geographical location, Taiwan is highly prone to typhoons. In July this year, the country was hit by Typhoon Danas, which killed two people and injured hundreds. It brought 19.6 inches of rain in just a weekend, triggering landslides and floods.

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If you’re planning to travel to Taiwan soon, make sure you check for the latest travel and weather updates.

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