Typhoon Podul Slams Into Southern Taiwan, Hundreds of Flights Canceled
Article 0 Comments Typhoon Podul hit Taiwan’s sparsely populated southeast coast on Wednesday packing winds of up to 191 kph (118 mph), as a large swathe of southern and eastern parts of the island shut down and hundreds of flights were canceled. Taiwan is regularly hit by typhoons, generally along its mountainous east coast facing the Pacific. Podul slammed into the southeastern city of Taitung around 1 p.m. (0500GMT), Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said. Read more: Typhoon Podul Set to Strengthen Before Hitting Southern Taiwan “Destructive winds from typhoon expected. Take shelter ASAP,” read a text message alert issued to cellphone users in parts of Taitung early on Wednesday. The alert warned people of gusts above 150 kph (93 mph) in the coming hours. Nine cities and counties announced the suspension of work and school for Wednesday, including the southern metropolises of Kaohsiung and Tainan. In the capital Taipei, home to Taiwan’s financial markets, there were blustery winds but no impact. Authorities are also working to evacuate those whose homes were damaged by a July typhoon that brought record winds and damaged the electricity grid in a rare direct hit to Taiwan’s west coast. The government said more than 5,500...