Typhoon Gaemi weakens as it leaves Taiwan for China

Typhoon Gaemi passed through Taiwan overnight and was headed toward 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.

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

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

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 barrelling toward Taiwan, prompting forecasters to say it could be “the strongest” typhoon to make landfall in eight years.