Typhoon Gaemi caused widespread devastation in Taiwan, killing 2

Powerful typhoon heading towards China's Fujian province, where it is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds

TAIPEI:

Typhoon Gaemi struck northern Taiwan on Thursday, resulting in two fatalities, widespread flooding, and the sinking of a freighter, before moving west across the Taiwan Strait toward China, where it is expected to bring heavy rainfall.

Gaemi made landfall around midnight (1600 GMT Wednesday) on Taiwan's northeastern coast in Yilan county. The Central Weather Administration reported it as the strongest typhoon to hit the island in eight years, with gusts reaching up to 227 kph (141 mph) before it weakened.

As of 12:15 p.m. (0415 GMT), Gaemi was in the Taiwan Strait, heading toward Fuzhou in China's Fujian province.

Gaemi is set to be the largest typhoon to strike China's eastern seaboard this year. Its extensive cloud-bands span much of the Western Pacific Ocean, affecting weather from the Philippines to Japan's Okinawa islands.

In Taiwan, the storm caused power outages affecting about half a million households, most of which have since been restored, according to utility company Taipower.

Southern Taiwan experienced significant rainfall, with some areas recording an accumulated 2,200 mm (87 inches) since Tuesday.

The typhoon is predicted to continue bringing rain to Taiwan, causing the closure of offices, schools, and financial markets for a second day on Thursday.

Train services were halted until 3 p.m. (0700 GMT), and all domestic and 195 international flights were canceled for the day. The high-speed train linking northern and southern Taiwan was set to resume at 2 p.m. (0600 GMT).

The government reported two deaths and 266 injuries due to the typhoon. Taiwanese TV channels showed images of flooded streets across various cities and counties.

Li Li-chuan, a 55-year-old resident of Suao in northeastern Taiwan, witnessed the roof of her restaurant being blown off. "I was frightened," she told Reuters. "It was the strongest in years. I was worried that the roof would hit other people."

Taiwan's fire department reported that a Tanzania-flagged freighter with nine Myanmar nationals onboard had sunk off the southern port city of Kaohsiung, with no response from the crew. Search efforts are ongoing.

Impact on China

Chinese weather forecasters indicated that Gaemi would pass through Fujian province later on Thursday and move inland, heading north with reduced intensity. However, heavy rain is still expected in many areas as it tracks north.

Government officials in China have prepared for the heavy rain and flooding, issuing advisories and warnings in the coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang.

In Fujian, around 150,000 people, primarily from coastal fishing communities, have been relocated, state media reported. As gale-force winds intensified, officials in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, suspended passenger waterway routes for up to three days.

Most flights were canceled at airports in Fuzhou and Quanzhou in Fujian, and Wenzhou in Zhejiang, according to the VariFlight app.

Rail officials in Guangzhou suspended some train services passing through typhoon-affected areas, according to CCTV.

Meanwhile, northern China is experiencing heavy rain from summer storms related to a different weather system.

In Beijing, heavy rain led to the activation of emergency plans, with over 25,000 people evacuated, as reported by Beijing Daily. Some train services at Beijing West Railway Station were also suspended.