Typhoon Podul has blown through Taiwan’s south with winds as powerful as 191km/h (118mph), leaving one person missing, forcing thousands of people to evacuate, schools to close, and hundreds of flights to be cancelled.
The typhoon made landfall on Wednesday, slamming into the southeastern city of Taitung at about 1pm (05:00 GMT), passing through the southern tip of the island and then passing into the Taiwan Strait some five hours later, Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
One person was reported missing and 33 others injured, the government said.
It is expected to next make landfall on China’s southern coast late on Wednesday or early Thursday, affecting Fujian and Guangdong provinces, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
As much as 600mm (almost 24 inches) of rain has been forecast in southern Taiwan’s mountainous areas over the next few days, the CWA said, while nine cities and counties announced the suspension of work and school, including the southern metropolises of Kaohsiung and Tainan.
Taiwan’s government said that more than 5,500 people had been evacuated in advance of the typhoon’s arrival, and all domestic flights – a total of 252 – as well as 129 international routes have been cancelled, the transport ministry said.
Typhoon Podul lashed Orchid Island with gusts of up to 155 kph at around 8 a.m. Wednesday, contributing to a power outage that hit 258 households in the island's Tungching Village. Winds and rain were also intensifying in Taitung. pic.twitter.com/qaeCwFg9Vu
— Focus Taiwan (CNA English News) (@Focus_Taiwan) August 13, 2025
Taiwan’s two main international carriers, China Airlines and EVA Air, said their cancellations were for routes out of Kaohsiung, with some flights from the island’s main international airport at Taoyuan stopped as well.
Typhoon Danas, which hit Taiwan in early July, killed two people and injured hundreds as the storm dumped more than 500mm (19.6 inches) of rain across the south over a weekend, causing widespread landslides and flooding.
That was followed by torrential rain from July 28 to August 4, with some areas recording more than a year’s worth of rainfall in a single week. The week of bad weather left five people dead, three missing and 78 injured, a disaster official said previously.
Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October, while scientists say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns.
Along with flooding, typhoons routinely damage fruit and other cash crops and bring landslides through the island’s centre.
