Nearly 300,000 displaced in eastern China as Typhoon Gaemi hits
Authorities evacuated nearly 300,000 people and suspended public transport across eastern China on Friday due to Typhoon Gaemi, which brought torrential rains that have already caused five deaths in Taiwan. Gaemi, the strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in eight years, made landfall on Thursday, flooding parts of the island's second largest city.
Typhoon also intensified seasonal rains in the Philippines on its way to Taiwan, triggering floods and landslides that resulted in 20 deaths.
A tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of oil sank off Manila due to the severe weather conditions, prompting authorities to act swiftly to contain a potential fuel spill.
By the time Typhoon Gaemi reached China's eastern Fujian province shortly before 8:00pm local time (1200 GMT) on Thursday, it had already weakened, according to state media.
China has been experiencing a summer of extreme weather. Heavy rains have lashed the eastern and southern parts of the country, while the northern regions have faced successive heatwaves. These conditions are believed to be exacerbated by climate change, with China being the largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
Chinese authorities warned that Typhoon Gaemi would bring torrential rains capable of causing significant flooding. More than 290,000 people were relocated in Fujian province, and public transport, offices, schools, and markets were shut down in various cities to prepare for the storm.
In neighboring Zhejiang province, state broadcaster CCTV showed footage on Friday of streets turned into rivers and roads blocked by fallen trees. Bicycles were seen struggling through knee-high waters. Wenzhou city, which has a population of nine million, issued its highest warning for rainstorms and evacuated nearly 7,000 people as a precaution.
State media reported that Typhoon Gaemi would bring heavy rainfall to central Jiangxi and Henan provinces. In Guangdong province, the most populous in China, some passenger train services were suspended on Friday in anticipation of the typhoon’s arrival.
CCTV cited the official China Weather Network, saying, that the typhoon was moving northwestward at about 20 kilometers per hour and was expected to "gradually weaken"
