Taiwan is on high alert as Typhoon Gaemi, the season's first major storm, nears the island's northeast coast. The powerful typhoon, with winds reaching up to 240 km/h (150 mph)—comparable to a high-category 4 hurricane—is causing significant disruptions.
Authorities have grounded almost all domestic flights and more than 200 international flights, according to the transport ministry. The government has declared Wednesday a typhoon day, suspending work and classes across Taiwan, except for the Kinmen Islands. Despite the widespread disruption, TSMC, a major chip manufacturer, has announced it will continue normal operations.
Typhoon Gaemi is expected to make landfall tonight, crossing northern Taiwan, including the capital, Taipei. It will move into the Taiwan Strait on Thursday before hitting Fujian province in southeastern China. The Central Weather Administration has issued a land warning, predicting severe wind and rain, with the worst conditions expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
Officials are particularly concerned about the storm’s heavy rainfall. More than one meter (3.3 feet) of rain is forecasted for the central and southern mountains, areas recently weakened by a significant earthquake. This poses a heightened risk of landslides and flash flooding.
In Taipei, residents have been stockpiling supplies, leaving supermarket shelves empty. The threat of Typhoon Gaemi has also led to the cancellation of parts of Taiwan's largest annual military drills, the Hang Kuang exercises, which were intended to be the most realistic ever.
In addition to Taiwan, Typhoon Gaemi and a southwest monsoon have caused heavy rains in the Philippine capital region and northern provinces, leading to halted work and classes and suspended stock and foreign exchange trading.