Typhoon Gaemi Bears Down on Taiwan: Markets Close, Flights Cancelled, and Military on Standby

Taiwan braces for Typhoon Gaemi, the strongest storm in eight years, by shutting financial markets, cancelling flights, and mobilizing the military. The storm brings torrential rains and high winds. Over 2,000 residents evacuated, and public services halted. Gaemi will also impact southeastern China and the Philippines, causing severe disruptions.

Taiwan hunkered down on Wednesday for the arrival of a strengthening Typhoon Gaemi, anticipated to be the strongest storm to hit the island in eight years. Financial markets were shut, flights cancelled, and the military placed on stand-by amid forecasts of torrential rains.

The typhoon has been upgraded to a strong typhoon, packing gusts of up to 227 kph (141 mph) near its center. Expected to make landfall on Taiwan's northeast coast by Wednesday evening, Gaemi will later affect southeastern China's Fujian province late Thursday afternoon.

“The next 24 hours will present a very severe challenge,” Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai told an emergency response center. People in Yilan county felt the typhoon’s early effects, with eateries shuttered and streets deserted.