Thousands of people were evacuated in Taiwan in anticipation of the arrival of Typhoon Haikui on Sunday, the first typhoon to directly hit the island in four years.
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Haikui, which has brought heavy rain to the island since Sunday morning, is expected to make landfall in Taitung, a mountainous region to the east, around 5 p.m. (0900 GMT), according to Taiwan’s Central Meteorological Bureau.
The typhoon “is expected to pose a significant threat to most areas of Taiwan with wind, rain and waves,” Meteorological Bureau deputy director Fong Chin-tzu warned during a news conference.
AFP
According to the Meteorological Bureau, Haikui will cross the south of the island from east to west on Sunday evening before moving across the Taiwan Strait towards mainland China on Monday morning.
The typhoon, which was accompanied by sustained winds of 154 km/h and gusts of 190 km/h, led to the evacuation of around 2,800 people, mostly in the mountainous district of Hualien near Taitung, according to authorities.
On Sunday, more than 200 domestic flights were canceled and shops were closed in most parts of the east and south of the island.
“I remind people to prepare for the typhoon, ensure their safety and avoid excursions and dangerous activities,” Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said.
white veil
The streets of Hualien were deserted and battered by incessant rain on Sunday morning. Huge waves hit the shore at a fishing port in Yilan County (northeast).
In Taitung County, strong winds and torrential rains plunged the landscape into a whiteout with no visibility.
AFP
“I had almost forgotten what it was like to be in a typhoon. How strong this wind is!” shouts Huang Jun-tong, a restaurateur, as he ensures that his restaurant is well sealed. “And yet everything was so calm yesterday that we didn’t have the impression that a typhoon was approaching.”
“I think it’s serious this time,” agrees Chang Jhi-ming, a 58-year-old mechanic. “It has just begun, the wind has just arrived and we can already see trees falling.”
The army has mobilized soldiers and equipment such as amphibious vehicles and rubber boats to areas of the island where the greatest damage is feared.
However, Haikui is expected to be less powerful than Saola, which had triggered the highest alert level in Hong Kong and southern China before deteriorating into a tropical storm on Saturday.
The last major storm to hit the island was Typhoon Bailu, which killed one person in 2019.