Taiwan curtails annual war games as Typhoon Gaemi barrels towards island

Hualien, Taiwan: Taiwan curtailed its annual Han Kuang war games on Tuesday as Typhoon Gaemi barrelled towards the island and the government issued a land warning given the expected strong winds and torrential rain as it hits the coast.

Gaemi, the first typhoon of the season to affect Taiwan, is expected to make landfall on the northeast coast between sometime on Wednesday night and the early hours of Thursday, according to the island's Central Weather Administration.

Currently categorised as a medium strength typhoon by Taiwan, it is then likely to move across the Taiwan Strait and then hit the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian in the early hours of Friday.

Taiwan's government issued a land warning for the typhoon, centred on Taiwan's east and northeast, meaning that is where it is most likely to make landfall.

Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military drills taking place this week have been curtailed, including cancelling fighter jet exercises on the east coast, the defence ministry said.

"The impact from the typhoon at present on the east coast is rather obvious," ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters at the Hualien air base. "So we will adjust some of the air and naval elements given the typhoon situation."

Taiwan's transport ministry said all ferries to Green Island and Orchid Island, which lie off the southeast coast, were cancelled on Tuesday. Four domestic flights were cancelled, but there was no disruption to international services yet.

Cities across Taiwan could also declare a typhoon holiday, which would shut financial markets, schools and offices, should they judge the risk from the bad weather to be severe.

Gaemi passed by to the east of the Philippines but did not make landfall, though still brought heavy rain.

While typhoons can be highly destructive, Taiwan also relies on them to replenish reservoirs after the traditionally drier winter months, especially for the southern part of the island.