Southern Taiwan shuts down as Typhoon Podul approaches, triggering evacuations, flight cancellations and widespread precautionary measures.
Hong Kong Observatory issues No 1 storm warning; Podul expected near southern Fujian and Guangdong after crossing Taiwan.
High winds, extreme heat, and squally thunderstorms pose hazards across affected regions, intensifying risk for residents and transport networks.
Typhoon Podul Triggers Shutdowns in Taiwan, Hong Kong & Southern China on Alert
Typhoon Podul shutters southern Taiwan, cancels flights, and threatens Hong Kong and southern China with strong winds and heavy rainfall
Typhoon Podul triggers shutdowns in Taiwan Photo by 猫鱼
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A large area of southern and eastern Taiwan shut down on August 13 and hundreds of flights were cancelled ahead of the arrival later in the day of Typhoon Podul, with thousands of people evacuated, according to Reuters.
The mid-strength Typhoon Podul, with wind gusts reaching up to 191 kph (118 mph), was advancing toward the southeastern city of Taitung. The storm is intensifying and is forecasted to make landfall in the area on the afternoon of August 13, weather officials told Reuters.
"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 August 13. The alert warned people of gusts above 150 kph (93 mph) in the coming hours.
Nine other cities and counties announced the suspension of work and school for August 13, including the southern metropolises of Kaohsiung and Tainan. Reuters reported that Taiwan's capital Taipei, home to Taiwan's financial markets, remained unaffected.
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Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Observatory has issued the No 1 storm warning signal, as Severe Typhoon Podul approaches and is expected to be closest to the city on Thursday morning, according to South China Morning Post.
At 1 pm, Severe Typhoon Podul was estimated to be about 710 km east of Hong Kong (near 22.5 degrees north 121.1 degrees east) and is forecast to move west-northwest at about 28 kilometres per hour towards the southern part of Taiwan, and then edge closer to the vicinity of southern Fujian to eastern Guangdong.
The weather forecaster initially raised the signal at 8.40 am on Wednesday and said that it would assess the need to upgrade it to No 3 later in the evening or early Thursday, according to Reuters.
“Under the influence of the outer subsiding air of Podul, it will be extremely hot over parts of the territory [on Wednesday],” it said, adding the temperature might reach 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) or higher," it said.
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“Showers and squally thunderstorms triggered by high temperatures will also affect Guangdong and the vicinity of Pearl River Estuary later," it added.
“Due to the fast-moving speed of Podul, according to the present forecast track, it will make landfall again over the vicinity of southern Fujian to eastern Guangdong overnight,” it stated.
Podul is forecast to enter within 605 km of Hong Kong by August 13.
After crossing southern Taiwan, it is expected to make landfall between Xiamen and Jieyang on August 14, which would place it within 278 km of Hong Kong.
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