Typhoon Haikui makes landfall in Taiwan, nearly 3,000 people evacuated

The first typhoon to pass directly over the island of Taiwan in four years, Haikui made landfall in the east of the island on Sunday afternoon, the Central Meteorological Bureau said. “The typhoon made landfall in Taitung around 3:40 p.m. [heure locale, 9 h 40, heure de Paris]it’s a little earlier than expected because it’s moving faster »said Yeh Chih-chun, forecaster at the latter.

It was indeed expected that the typhoon would make landfall in this region, neighboring the mountainous county of Hualien, a little later, around 5 p.m. (11 a.m., Paris time).

As it approached, heavy rains and sustained winds of nearly 140 km / h fell on Taiwan.

Nearly 3,000 people evacuated

The Interior Ministry said more than 2,800 people had been evacuated from seven towns on the island deemed to be at high risk, mainly in Hualien county. Hundreds of domestic flights have been canceled, along with rail transport and ferry services. Schools and offices have closed in the south and east of the island.

Among the canceled events were a hot air balloon festival in the central region of Taichung, several outdoor concerts, art events and a baseball festival. National parks and dangerous roads in the mountainous center of the island have also been closed. Even the capital Taipei, in the north of the island, is showered by driving rains.

The army has mobilized soldiers and equipment, such as amphibious vehicles and inflatable boats, in areas of the island where the greatest damage is feared.

It must be “of the first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in four years”President Tsai Ing-wen said on Sunday, calling on the population to “to prepare”has “avoid going outside or engaging in dangerous activities”.

At 9 a.m. local time, Haikui was about 180 kilometers east of the island, according to Taiwan’s Central Meteorological Bureau, and had “somewhat strengthened since [samedi] »noted its deputy director, Fong Chin-tzu, during a press conference during which he called on the population to “stay on guard”.

Haikui “must pose a considerable threat to most parts of Taiwan with winds, rains and waves”he warned, adding that the storm would then head west towards the Taiwan Strait, towards China on Monday.

The streets of Hualien were deserted on Sunday morning, while in a fishing port in Yilan, further north, huge waves crashed against the coast. In Taitung County, strong winds and torrential rain plunged the landscape into a kind of whiteout, with no visibility.

But Haikui must be less powerful than Saola, which had triggered the maximum alert in Hong Kong and southern China on Saturday, before degrading into a tropical storm. The last major storm to hit the island was Typhoon Bailu, which claimed one death in 2019.