Southern Taiwan shuts down ahead of arrival of Typhoon Podul
Typhoon Podul Landfall: The mid-strength Typhoon Podul, packing wind gusts as strong as 191 kph (118 mph), was heading for the southeastern city of Taitung.
The mid-strength Typhoon Podul, packing gusts of as much as 155 kph (96 mph), was heading for the southeastern city of Taitung. (Representational image) Typhoon Podul: A large swathe of southern and eastern Taiwan shut down on Wednesday and hundreds of flights were cancelled ahead of the arrival later in the day of Typhoon Podul, with thousands of people evacuated.
Taiwan is regularly hit by typhoons, generally along its mountainous, sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific.
The mid-strength Typhoon Podul, packing wind gusts as strong as 191 kph (118 mph), was heading for the southeastern city of Taitung as it intensifies and was expected to make landfall nearby on Wednesday afternoon, weather officials said.
“Destructive winds from typhoon expected. Take shelter as soon as possible,” 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.
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