By Ab Susan
Typhoon Podul made landfall in China’s southeastern province of Fujian, specifically in Zhangpu County, after crossing the island of Taiwan, where it left one person missing and over 100 injured. The storm brought strong winds and heavy rainfall, causing widespread disruptions and damage.
In Taiwan, the typhoon made landfall in Taitung County with sustained winds of 155 kph and gusts of up to 191 kph, before moving back out to sea toward the mainland. The storm caused power outages affecting over 292,000 households, with some 42,000 still without electricity overnight. The heaviest rains were recorded in the southern county of Pingtung, with 446 millimeters in just 18 hours, causing flooding in several towns and the preventive evacuation of over 1,000 residents.
As the typhoon swept across storm-battered central and southern areas of Taiwan, it toppled dozens of trees and triggered flooding. Streets in the port city of Kaohsiung were littered with fallen branches. The Central Weather Administration predicted mountain areas in Kaohsiung and Tainan could be hit with a cumulative 400-600 millimeters of rain, raising the risk of further flooding and landslides.
In mainland China, the storm made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 108 kilometers per hour. Heavy rainfall and strong winds were expected in provinces like Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, and Jiangxi. Schools were closed, and train and ferry services were suspended in some areas. Hong Kong experienced heavy downpours, triggering the city’s highest-level black rainstorm warning.
The government and emergency services responded quickly, with over 31,500 soldiers deployed to assist in rescue and relief efforts in Taiwan. Authorities raised emergency response levels in Fujian and Guangdong provinces, instructing all localities to closely monitor the typhoon situation and implement emergency measures, including evacuations, to ensure the safety of life and property.
Typhoon Podul is part of a series of extreme weather events hitting the region this summer. Scientists warn that human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns, leading to destructive floods and stronger storms. Global warming, driven largely by the burning of fossil fuels, is not just about rising temperatures, but the knock-on effect of all the extra heat in the atmosphere and seas.
