Typhoon Gaemi makes landfall in Taiwan; Mailiao port remains closed

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Typhoon Gaemi made landfall on Taiwan’s eastern coast shortly before midnight on 24 July, bringing fierce winds and heavy rains to vast swathes of the island, with the Mailiao port remaining closed on Thursday.

Financial markets and workplaces are also closed for a second consecutive day.

Operations at the Mailiao port are expected to resume on 26 July after a three-day shutdown, according to market sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

The port is operated by Taiwanese major Formosa Petrochemical Corp (FPCC) which primarily serves the company’s Mailiao refinery and petrochemical complex.

The closure of Mailiao port is a precautionary measure taken for operational safety, according to a Formosa Plastics Corp (FPC) source, adding that operations at the company’s ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) plant in Mailiao were normal.

Taiwan’s major petrochemical complexes are in Toufen and Mailiao in the northwest; and Ta-sheh and Linyuan in Kaohsiung City in the south.

Authorities in Taiwan have reported two weather-related fatalities and more than 200 others injured as the storm approached.

Officials have evacuated more than 8,000 people across at-risk areas of the country.

Prior to making landfall near Hualien County, Taiwanese authorities categorized Gaemi as a “severe typhoon,” the highest level on their three-tier scale. This marked the first severe typhoon to hit the island since 2016.

The storm has since weakened as it moved inland.

At 08:30 local time (00:30 GMT), Gaemi was 80 kilometres northwest of Hsinchu, packing maximum winds of 90 kiometres/hour, Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in its latest update.

A typhoon warning is in effect for Nantou, Chiayi, Chiayi City, Keelung City, Yilan, Changhua, New Taipei City, Hsinchu, Hsinchu City, Taoyuan City, Penghu, Taichung City, Taipei City, Tainan City, Taitung, Hualien, Miaoli, Kinmen, Yunlin, Lienchiang and Kaohsiung City, the CWA said.

Over 4,000 people living in in northern regions, especially Hualien, were evacuated due to the storm. Hualien, a mountainous area prone to landslides, was also severely affected by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake earlier this year.

Gaemi is expected to make its way across the Taiwan Strait towards Fujian and Zhejiang later on Thursday, with a red storm alert currently in place in both these provinces in southern China.

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has issued a red typhoon warning, the highest level of alert, for strong winds expected in seas off the southeastern coast and coastal areas of Fujian and southern Zhejiang provinces.

The Fujian Maritime Safety Administration has launched a Level I emergency response, the highest alert, in anticipation of Gaemi’s arrival, according to crisis management firm Crisis24.

Ports have been closed and vessels have been ordered to return to shore, it said.

Thumbnail photo shows the location of Typhoon Gaemi at 04:30 GMT on 25 July (Source: zoom.earth)

Additional reporting by Angeline Soh, Helen Lee and Samuel Wong