The Severe Typhoon 'Gaemi' After Devastating Taiwan is Heading Towards China

The severe storm that swept through northeastern Taiwan early on Thursday, August 5, is moving towards China and is expected to bring more torrential rains. It is predicted that this storm will transform into a 'super typhoon' as it crosses the Taiwan Strait into China, a country already grappling with the consequences of heavy rainfall in recent weeks. This storm has also affected the Philippines, putting it at risk of the largest oil spill in its waters. According to Reuters and CNN, heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds from Typhoon Gaemi has killed at least two people in northeastern Taiwan, injured hundreds, and forced local authorities to close schools, offices, and financial markets. This is the strongest storm to hit Taiwan in the past eight years, with wind speeds reaching 227 kilometers per hour on the island. Most cities in Taiwan closed schools and offices on Wednesday, and the railway suspended its high-speed train services. More than 50,000 households in Kaohsiung were left without electricity. Many flights were canceled, and three Taiwanese airlines announced that their services would depend on the situation. According to Taiwan's emergency center, a tree fell on a moving motorcycle, crushing the female driver in a city in southern Taiwan, and another woman fell from a rooftop in Hualien and died. Over 200 others were injured in Hualien, the most populous city in Taiwan, due to heavy rains and strong winds. Taiwan has been exposed to storms and landslides for about six decades, and residents of its remote and mountainous areas have been at risk. The storm also closed schools and government offices in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and Luzon, one of the country's main islands, on Wednesday. Some flights in the Philippines were canceled, and the country's stock exchange halted trading. The President of the Philippines announced that thousands of rescue forces are on standby for search and rescue operations. Landslides did not occur in the Philippines, reducing concerns, but the sinking of an oil tanker may pose a risk of the largest oil spill at sea for the Philippines. The oil tanker capsized early Thursday in the turbulent waters of Manila Bay. Efforts are underway to contain the oil spill to prevent its effects on fishermen and the potential for fires along the coast. 16 of the 17 crew members of the sunken tanker were rescued. The sinking of the tanker, which was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil, could become the largest oil spill in the country's history. It has been assessed that the arrival of the storm in China will further impact three provinces that have recently suffered from flooding. Strong winds of up to 160 kilometers per hour are forecast, especially for Fujian province in China. Ships have already anchored in Fujian port, and trains have been halted. High-speed trains on China's Guangzhou railway have also stopped. This situation comes as tens of thousands of people in various provinces of this vast country have been evacuated in the past two weeks due to deadly floods and landslides, with highways blocked, homes destroyed, agricultural products lost, and livestock perished. At least over 100,000 people in Henan province were forced to evacuate their homes, and thousands of hectares of farmland were submerged. The Henan region had already been suffering from a scorching heatwave before the floods. China's weather situation is facing a serious crisis due to extreme heat and now flooding, which is likely to be prolonged. Typhoon Gaemi formed in the Pacific waters before reaching Taiwan, while the surface water temperature was very high, becoming the first seasonal storm in the region. Scientists say that the warming ocean waters, due to climate crisis reasons, will lead to storms occurring with greater intensity. Climate change and climate crises resulting from global warming are major factors in the formation of severe storms in various parts of the world, and climatologists and environmental activists say that reducing fossil fuel production and consumption is the way to combat it.