ISTANBUL, Aug 14 — Typhoon Podul lashed southern Taiwan today after making landfall in Taitung County, bringing strong winds and heavy rain that disrupted daily life and paralysed transportation, Anadolu Ajansi reported, quoting Focus Taiwan.
The storm halted rail and ferry services across much of the region and prompted the evacuation of over 5,500 residents.
Nearly 250 international flights were cancelled ahead of its approach.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) said the typhoon made landfall at around 1pm (0500 GMT), moving west-northwest at about 29 km per hour (km/h).
It packed maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h, with gusts reaching 191 km/h.
CWA forecaster Liu Yu-chi said the storm’s radius had engulfed Taitung, Hualien, and Nantou counties. Conditions were expected to worsen in Taitung, Hualien, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung tomorrow.
As Podul heads toward southern China, The Global Times reported that flood control authorities in Guangdong and Fujian provinces have raised their alert levels.
