Taiwan: Threat of storm Haikui looming over the island, administration canceled flights and rail services; Schools and offices also closed

Taiwan has suspended all its flights, trains, and ferry services. Besides, classes and any external events have also been banned. Actually, Typhoon Haikui is expected to hit the island on Sunday, so the administration has taken this step and urged all the workers to stay at home.

It is noteworthy that Typhoon Saola is weakening while moving along the Chinese coast, hence there is a possibility that its impact will now be seen on the island. China evacuated about 900,000 people and 80,000 fishing boats during the typhoon.

Additionally, businesses, transportation, and schools were closed in most of Hong Kong and parts of the coastal mainland.

However, this storm did not cause much damage and all restrictions have been lifted by Sunday. At the same time, heavy rains and strong winds are being seen in some parts of Taiwan due to the Haikui storm. Due to this, flights to many places including Hong Kong and Macau have been canceled at present.

The storm produced maximum winds of 137 kilometers per hour (85 mph), reaching gusts of 173 kilometers per hour (107 mph), according to the island's meteorological bureau.

A hot air balloon festival scheduled to take place in the central Taichung area has been canceled. Additionally, several outdoor concerts, art shows, and a baseball festival have also been canceled for the time being. National parks and some dangerous roads in the island's mountainous center have also been closed.

There were fears that Haikui, after crossing Taiwan, would head towards China so officials in the Chinese city of Shantou in Guangdong province were advising residents to exercise caution.

Due to Saola, workers in many Chinese cities stayed at home and students also had to stay at home from Friday to Monday. Trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was also suspended on Friday. Besides this, hundreds of people were stranded at the airport due to the cancellation of around 460 flights.

The cross-border bridge linking Hong Kong and Macao's gambling hub and the manufacturing hub of Zhuhai was closed, with Macao leader Ho Itat Seng ordering a halt to casino operations. As the storm hit the densely populated financial center, the Hong Kong Observatory issued a typhoon warning. Significantly, for the first time after 2018, the city's weather system has issued the biggest warning.

However, by Saturday night, the observatory had canceled all warnings, and hundreds of people returned to their homes. China has recently been hit by heavy rains and subsequent floods that have killed dozens, including in remote mountainous parts of the capital, Beijing.

The Hong Kong government said that a total of 1,206 trees were reported uprooted and 18 areas were reported flooded. Also, it has been told in the report that about 75 people have been injured due to this storm, and have been admitted to the hospital.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it was monitoring the movements of Chinese military aircraft and navy ships near the island. However, it added that there are no indications that anyone has crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone.