Typhoon Gaemi weakens as it leaves Taiwan for China

A visitor (bottom right) takes photographs in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in heavy rain from weather patterns caused by Typhoon Gaemi in Taipei on July 24, 2024. Taiwan closed schools, suspended the stock market, and declared a typhoon holiday on July 24 as Gaemi barrelled towards the island, bringing torrential rains and whipping winds to its northeast. (Photo by Sam Yeh / Agence France-Presse)

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Typhoon Gaemi passed through Taiwan overnight and was headed towards eastern China on Thursday, leaving two dead as heavy rains and strong gusts continued to lash the island in its wake.

The day before, the storm had forced Taiwan to cancel some of its annual war games, shutter schools and offices, and evacuate thousands from high-risk, landslide-prone areas.

By Thursday morning, its sustained wind speeds had weakened to 154 kilometers (95 miles) per hour after “the center has moved out to sea” at around 4:20 am (2020 GMT), said Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.

“Wind and rain continue posing a threat to various parts of Taiwan, (and the outlying islands of) Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu,” the administration said.

The nearby Philippines – which was not in Gaemi’s path – saw its seasonal monsoon rains exacerbated by the typhoon’s impacts, triggering floods that killed at least six, according to authorities Wednesday. Gaemi was locally named Carina by the state weather agency of the Philippines.

READ: Taiwan prepares for a strong Typhoon Gaemi that killed 13 in the Philippines

The storm is now tracking towards China’s Fujian province, while Taiwan is still experiencing persistent downpours and reports of flooding in the south.

People walk along a flooded street in Manila on July 24, 2024, amid heavy rains brought by Typhoon Gaemi (locally named Carina). Relentless rain drenched the northern Philippines on July 24, triggering flooding in Manila and landslides in mountainous regions as Typhoon Gaemi intensified the seasonal monsoon. (Photo by Jam Sta Rosa / Agence France-Presse)

Several cities, including Taipei, announced a second consecutive day off, with schools, government offices, and the stock market closed.

READ: Carina floods leave PH capital in state of calamity

More than 200 people were injured and two killed before Gaemi made landfall at around midnight. A motorist in the southern Kaohsiung city was crushed by a tree, while a woman in eastern Hualien died after part of a building fell on her car.

Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October, but experts say climate change has increased their intensity, leading to heavy rains, flash floods, and strong gusts.

At its peak, Gaemi packed sustained wind speeds of 190 kilometers (118 miles) per hour as it was barreling toward Taiwan, prompting forecasters to say it could be “the strongest” typhoon to make landfall in eight years.