Typhoon Podul leads to closures of schools and businesses in Taiwan, anticipating heavy downpours
Typhoon Podul Brings Heavy Rains and Strong Winds to Southern Taiwan
Typhoon Podul, a powerful storm that poses a threat of flooding, damage to cash crops, and landslides, has made landfall in Taiwan's Taitung County. The storm is causing significant damage to agriculture, particularly affecting cash crops in the island's southeast, due to heavy rains and winds.
The typhoon is moving westward across southern Taiwan, bringing widespread flooding and damaging winds that impact farmland and fruit crops. The skirt of Typhoon Podul measures 120 kilometers (75 miles) across.
The counties and cities of Tainan, Kaohsiung, Chiayi, Yunlin, Pingtung, and Hualien on the east coast, and the island group of Penghu in the Taiwan Strait, are expected to be significantly impacted by Typhoon Podul. These areas are well south of the capital, Taipei.
Key impacts of Typhoon Podul include damage to cash crops, flooding and power outages, landslide risk, and wind speeds and duration. Heavy rain and strong winds have damaged fruit and other cash crops primarily in southern and southeastern counties such as Taitung. Extensive flooding has affected central and southern Taiwan, knocking out electricity in rural agricultural areas, which could delay recovery and farm operations.
The typhoon passed over Taiwan’s central mountain range, a region prone to landslides due to heavy rainfall saturating steep slopes. Landslides often follow typhoons in these mountainous areas, threatening both agricultural land and infrastructure. Podul brought gusts up to 175 km/h (equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane), particularly impacting southern Taiwan for several hours.
Schools and government offices in Taiwan have been closed due to Typhoon Podul. The storm is expected to continue toward the Chinese coast after passing over Taiwan. Taiwan's main international airport and high-tech industrial base are located in the areas affected by Typhoon Podul, and around a dozen flights that would have traveled south toward the storm's path were delayed or canceled.
Recent heavy rains in central and southern Taiwan have caused severe damage to crops but minimal casualties. Electrical outages in rural areas due to the recent heavy rains took weeks to repair. The recovery crews are on alert due to the potential damage from Typhoon Podul.
The government in Taipei has urged residents in impacted areas to stay indoors and take precautions against Typhoon Podul, recognizing the potential threat to both infrastructure and environmental-science, specifically the agriculture sector. Aside from the hazards in Taiwan, the environmental impact of Typhoon Podul might extend to the cultural significance of the country's historical sites, with torrential rains posing a risk to these precious landmarks. The recovery efforts from Podul might face challenges in Toronto, as it could receive some of the typhoon's residual weather patterns, potentially disrupting its environmental balance.
