Typhoon Podul hits Taiwan with strong winds

Typhoon Podul has hit Taiwan. The cyclone hit the eastern part of the country with strong winds on Wednesday (August 13) local time. Its impact has started to cause heavy rains throughout the region.
Meteorologists had predicted that Typhoon Podul was going to hit the southeastern part of Taiwan. Gusty winds and rain began to increase since Tuesday (August 12) morning. As a precaution, the administration evacuated residents from low-lying areas in the area.
According to an AFP report, the Taiwan Central Meteorological Department said that the typhoon hit Taitung County at around 1 pm on Wednesday. At that time, the wind speed was 191 kilometers per hour.
Typhoon Podul is expected to cross the island of Taiwan and enter the Taiwan Strait by the end of the day on Wednesday. It will also hit the central and southern parts of the country along the way. The region has yet to recover from the damage caused by Typhoon Wifa, which hit the region last month, killing at least two people and injuring hundreds more.
More than 5,500 people were evacuated ahead of Typhoon Podul, while 252 domestic and 129 international flights were canceled. All activities in the southern cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan were suspended.