Typhoon Gaemi has unleashed ‘extremely torrential rain’ across Taiwan, causing widespread disruptions and posing significant risks in sparsely populated mountainous areas.
The transport ministry reported that nearly all domestic flights were canceled, along with 201 international flights, as the storm approached.
Rail operations across the island ceased at midday (0400 GMT), with limited high-speed services between northern and southern Taiwan continuing.
Despite the disruptions, TSMC (2330.TW), the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a key supplier to Apple (AAPL.O), announced that it expects its factories to maintain normal operations during the typhoon, having initiated standard emergency preparations.
The typhoon is predicted to bring up to 1,800 mm (70 inches) of rain to some central and southern counties, heightening the risk of landslides in these mountainous areas.
In response, Taiwan’s defense ministry has mobilized 29,000 soldiers for potential disaster relief efforts, underscoring the severity of the situation.
Typhoon Gaemi has also impacted this year’s Han Kuang military exercises, a critical component of Taiwan’s defense readiness.
While some scheduled live fire drills proceeded on the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, the storm’s arrival forced a reduction in overall activities.
Further complicating the situation, Taiwan’s water resources ministry warned of heavy rainfall extending beyond the island. Gaemi, coupled with a southwest monsoon, has brought significant rainfall to northern regions of the Philippines, resulting in school and work cancellations and the suspension of stock and foreign exchange trading.
The storm has already claimed 12 lives in the Philippines.
Looking ahead, weather officials predict that the rains, fueled by Gaemi’s moisture, will continue until July 31.
This weather system is expected to impact regions from China’s Pearl River basin in the south to the Songhua and Liao River basins near the northeastern border with Russia and North Korea.
While typhoons pose substantial risks, they also play a crucial role in replenishing Taiwan’s reservoirs, especially in the typically dry southern regions following the winter season.