Typhoon Haigui hit Taiwan with winds of 200 kilometers per hour: thousands of people were evacuated

He The Haikui Storm It crossed the coast in the east this Sunday TaiwanHeavy rains and strong winds left thousands of homes without power, The The first major storm to hit the island directly in four years.

Officers About 4,000 people were evacuated As a precaution, Hundreds of flights were cancelled And Shops were closed.

“The typhoon made landfall at Taitung at around 3:40 pm (7:40 am GMT), slightly earlier than expected, Moving faster than plannedYeh Chih-chun of the Central Meteorological Center told AFP.

He held at the moment of impact Wind speed of 191 kilometers per hour, the official CNA news agency reports, which has triggered alerts in a good part of the island. According to data from the Central Taiwan Weather Bureau (CWB), an hour before landfall, the storm – which could reach “very strong typhoon” level – was moving in a west-northwest direction at a speed of 22 kilometers per hour.

A hurricane can be considered “A substantial threat For most parts of Taiwan, with wind, rain and waves”, Fong Hsin-tzu, deputy director of meteorological services, warned before the storm’s arrival.

Haikui is forecast to move through Taitung, a mountainous region in the east, cross the island to the west, and then cross the Taiwan Strait to mainland China on Monday morning.

Residents huddled inside their homes, trying to stay out of windows, and outside, strong winds uprooted trees and toppled water tanks. “I think he’s serious this time,” said Chang Ji-ming, a 58-year-old mechanic. “It’s just starting, the wind has just picked up and you can already see the trees falling.”

The cyclone has been strengthening since Saturday and reached 154 kmph winds at around 3 pm local time on Sunday.

A spokesman for the Meteorological Center explained that the rain and wind will be more powerful only after Haikui reaches the coast.

Total About 21,000 homes were without power before the Haikui attack, but power is being restored And by the time the storm hit the island, only 9,000 homes were without power.

Officials said There are two minor injuries A tree fell on a car in Hualien County, a mountainous area under flood warning.

At Taitung, the wind and torrential rain threw the landscape in a kind of white screen, with no choice.

“I almost forgot what it was like to be in a hurricane. How violent this wind is!” exclaimed Huang Jun-dong, a restaurant owner who was making sure his establishment was safely closed. “Since everything was so calm yesterday, we had no idea that a typhoon was approaching,” he added.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen warned Sunday that Haikui “will be the first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in four years.” “I remind people to prepare for typhoons and ensure their safety by not going out or doing risky activities,” he added.

The armed forces have mobilized soldiers and equipment such as amphibious vehicles and inflatable boats in areas expected to be hit by haikui.

The last major storm to hit Taiwan was Typhoon Beilu in 2019, which killed one person.

(With information from AFP and EFE)