Taiwan curtails annual war games as Typhoon Gaemi barrels towards island

HUALIEN, Taiwan – Taiwan curtailed its annual Han Kuang war games on Tuesday, July 23, as Typhoon Gaemi, also called Typhoon Carina in the Philippines, barrelled towards the island, and is expected to bring strong winds and torrential rain.

Gaemi, the first typhoon of the season to affect Taiwan, is expected to make landfall on the northeast coast between sometime on Wednesday night and the early hours of Thursday, according to the island’s Central Weather Administration.

Currently categorized as a medium strength typhoon by Taiwan, it is then likely to move across the Taiwan Strait and then hit the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian in the early hours of Friday.

Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military drills taking place this week have been curtailed, including cancelling fighter jet exercises on the east coast, the defense ministry said.

“The impact from the typhoon at present on the east coast is rather obvious,” ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters at the Hualien air base. “So we will adjust some of the air and naval elements given the typhoon situation.”

Taiwan’s transport ministry said all ferries to Green Island and Orchid Island, which lie off the southeast coast, were cancelled on Tuesday. Four domestic flights were cancelled, but there was no disruption to international services yet.

While typhoons can be highly destructive, Taiwan also relies on them to replenish reservoirs after the traditionally drier winter months, especially for the southern part of the island. – Rappler.com