Typhoon Podul made landfall in southern Taiwan on Wednesday, packing winds of up to 191 kph (118 mph) and leaving one person missing. The storm brought widespread disruption, with hundreds of flights cancelled and a large swathe of the island shut down.
The typhoon slammed into the southeastern city of Taitung at around 1 p.m. (0500 GMT) and passed through the southern tip of the island before entering the Taiwan Strait. It is expected to make landfall in China’s Fujian province late on Wednesday or early Thursday, affecting millions of people.
In Taiwan, one person was reported missing and 33 others injured. Nine cities and counties announced work and school suspensions, including Kaohsiung and Tainan. The capital Taipei experienced blustery winds but no impact.
The government evacuated over 5,500 people ahead of the typhoon’s arrival, with more than 600 mm (24 inches) of rain forecast in southern mountainous areas. Domestic flights were cancelled, with all international flights also affected, including those to Kaohsiung and Taoyuan airports.
Taiwan is regularly hit by typhoons, which typically affect its eastern coast. The storm’s impact was exacerbated by a July typhoon that damaged the electricity grid on Taiwan’s west coast, leading to widespread evacuation efforts.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/typhoon-podul-blows-through-southern-taiwan-leaving-one-person-missing-2025-08-13