Taiwan’s Central Meteorological Agency (CWA) has issued a maritime alert ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Gaemi, which has halted several shipping lines and outdoor activities.
The storm strengthened into a typhoon at around 2:00 p.m. local time (06:00 GMT) in waters east of the Philippines, the agency said.
At 08:30 local time (00:30 GMT), Gaemi was located about 490 kilometers south of Cape Eluanbi at the southern tip of Taiwan and was moving north to west at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour.
The latest available measurement indicated that the storm had winds of 137 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 172 kilometers per hour.
Speaking to state news agency CNA, meteorologist Kuan Shin-ping said the typhoon will mainly hit Taiwan from Tuesday night to Thursday, with heavy rainfall forecast for western cities and counties and waves of up to five metres.
The storm may bring torrential rains in mountainous areas, increasing the risk of landslides, and cause flooding in some areas due to high tides.
In this context, services on the railway line between the southern city of Chiayi and Alishan, whose entire section was reopened earlier this month after being closed for more than 15 years due to the impact of another typhoon, have been suspended until next Thursday.
The ferry connecting the eastern city of Taitung to Green Island, Orchid Island and Xiaoliuqiu Island will also be suspended from Tuesday to Thursday.
The arrival of the typhoon has also caused the temporary cancellation of major cultural events, such as the Taipei Summer Festival and the Taitung Hot Air Balloon Carnival, which will not organize activities during the worst days of the storm.
Taiwan is particularly sensitive to natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons: in October last year, Typhoon Koinu left one dead, more than 300 injured and disrupted electricity, water and transport services on the island.
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2024-07-26 14:58:15