Taiwan grounds flights as it braces for Typhoon Gaemi

Taiwan is preparing for a powerful storm known as Typhoon Gaemi, which is expected to make landfall on the island's North East coast late on Wednesday. In anticipation of the storm, multiple local governments across Taiwan have suspended work and classes. People are seen walking with umbrellas in heavy rain as they brace for the impact of the typhoon. This storm is the first typhoon of the season to affect Taiwan, and it has already led to the cancellation of parts of the island's largest annual military drills. Almost all domestic flights have been canceled, along with over 200 international flights, according to the transport ministry. Before reaching Taiwan, Typhoon Gaemi brought relentless rains to large areas of the Philippines, causing floods that turned streets into rivers in the capital, Manila. The typhoon is packing winds of up to 240 kilometers per hour, which is equivalent to a high category 4 hurricane in terms of wind strength and potential for destruction. The government has declared Wednesday a typhoon day, meaning that work and classes are suspended across the island, except for the Kinmen islands. However, TSMC, a major chip manufacturing company, has stated that their plants will continue to operate normally. The storm is currently tracking slightly further north and is expected to cross the northern part of Taiwan, including the capital, Taipei, later on Wednesday night. After that, it will move out into the Taiwan straits on Thursday and strike the coast of Fujian in South East China. Despite the very strong winds, officials have indicated that the main threat from Gaemi comes from the massive amount of moisture it is carrying. The Central Weather Administration of Taiwan has issued a land warning for the entire island, predicting that wind and rain will be at their worst on Wednesday and Thursday. Authorities in Taiwan are warning that more than one meter of rainfall could be expected across the central and southern mountains of the island within the next 24 hours. The area in central Taiwan that is expected to be hit was previously struck by a large earthquake earlier this year, which has destabilized the mountainsides. This creates a significant risk for landslides and flash flooding. In the capital city of Taipei, where heavy rain and increasing winds have been reported, supermarket shelves were left bare on Tuesday evening as residents stocked up on supplies in anticipation of a sharp rise in prices after the typhoon passes. The threat posed by the typhoon has also led the government to cancel parts of its planned week-long Hang Kuang military drills on Tuesday and Wednesday, despite earlier claims that these drills would be 'the most realistic ever. ' Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Typhoon Gaemi, along with a southwest monsoon, has also brought heavy rain on Wednesday to the capital region and northern provinces. Work and classes have been halted there, and stock and foreign exchange trading has been suspended. Metro Manila, which is home to nearly 15 million people, has been placed under a state of calamity as rivers and creeks have overflowed. Footage circulating on social media has shown small cars floating in chest-deep waters and commuters trapped on the roofs of buses. The state weather bureau has indicated that the rains, which are typical for this time of year, could persist until Thursday.