Beijing, August 14: Typhoon Podul wreaked havoc across Taiwan on Wednesday, August 13, before slamming into Hong Kong and southeastern China early Thursday, August 14, bringing torrential rain, powerful winds, and widespread disruption. The storm has since weakened into a severe tropical storm, but not before triggering evacuations, power outages, and flight cancellations across the region.

Typhoon Podul made landfall in Taiwan’s Taitung County on August 13, with wind gusts reaching up to 191 km/h (118 mph), according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA). At least 143 people were injured, and one man is missing after being swept away while fishing. All domestic flights and many international services were cancelled. Schools and businesses across southern Taiwan shut down, and high-speed rail and ferry services were suspended. Typhoon Co-may: Tropical Storm Adds to Philippines’ Weather Toll With 25 Dead, 278,000 Evacuated This Week.

Typhoon Podul Live Tracker Map on Windy

Typhoon Podul Wreaks Havoc in Taiwan

More than 8,000 residents in Taiwan were evacuated, and over 63,000 households lost power. Streets in cities like Kaohsiung were flooded and littered with debris. The CWA warned that mountain regions in Kaohsiung and Tainan could receive up to 600 mm (24 inches) of rain through August 14.

Lightening, Thunder, and Heavy Rain in China, Hong Kong

After battering Taiwan, Podul moved toward Hong Kong and southeastern China. Hong Kong issued its highest-level “black” rainstorm warning, causing widespread disruption. Courts, including a hearing involving media tycoon Jimmy Lai, were suspended. Schools and out-patient clinics closed for the day. Jammu and Kashmir Cloudburst: Several Casualties Feared As Flash Flood Hits Chashoti Area in Kishtwar, Rescue Operations Underway (Watch Video).

Flights across the region were severely affected, with 20% of morning flights cancelled, and over a third of flights to Quanzhou, a key export hub, scrapped. Podul made its second landfall around 12:30 am on August 14 in Zhangpu County, Fujian Province, with sustained winds of 108 km/h (67 mph), according to Chinese state media.

In mainland China, the storm dropped more than 70 mm (2.76 inches) of rain per hour on provinces including Guangdong, Hunan, and Jiangxi. Several schools, train lines, and ferry services were suspended. The Chinese government allocated an additional 430 million yuan (USD 59.9 million) for disaster relief, bringing total emergency funding to over 5.8 billion yuan (USD 810 million) since April.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 14, 2025 03:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).