Taipei, Taiwan – After the fifth slowest tropical cyclone season in the Western Pacific, Typhoon Gaemi delivered a heavy blow to Taiwan.
The cyclone formed on July 19 east of the Philippines, where it was known as Typhoon Carina.
The slow-moving nature of the cyclone, coupled with monsoon rains, caused widespread flood in provinces of the Philippines.
The the country’s government reported More than 800,000 people were affected by the torrential rains and hundreds of shelters were set up.
The cyclone never made landfall in the southeast Asian but was close enough to land a grazing shot.
As the cyclone passed the Philippines to the north and east, the system rapidly strengthened to the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane while I was outside Taiwan.
Typhoon Gaemi made a loop off the island’s coast before making landfall early Thursday morning near Nan’ao on the northeast coast.
The Taiwan Central Weather Service said Precipitation quickly rose to over 30 centimeters and more rain was forecast.
Schools and government buildings were closed across the island, and Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported that part of a planned military exercise had to be cancelled due to weather conditions.
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At least a dozen people have died in the Philippines and Taiwan due to the effects of the extreme weather.
Gaemi was expected to maintain typhoon status after making landfall in eastern China.
Thousands of people were evacuated from lower-lying areas due to the effects of the storm, state media said.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, torrential rains are also likely in several counties where deadly flooding has been reported in recent weeks.
According to forecast models, rainfall along the east coast between Shenzhen and Shanghai could reach as much as 60 centimeters by the end of the month.
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Gaemi was only the second typhoon of the year to form in what was a unusually inactive season in the western Pacific.
While the Atlantic Ocean has a fixed season, cyclones in the western Pacific can form throughout the year, with most activity occurring from May through October.
Typhoon Aghon formed on May 12, marking the fifth-slowest start to a year on record.
The last date on which the first cyclone was observed in the basin was June 8, 1983.
In an average season, 26 storms typically form, with 16 of them intensifying to typhoonsbut these numbers have not been reached since 2019.
Source original article: Deadly typhoon hits Taiwan, Philippines
