Typhoon Danas battered southern Taiwan on Monday with record winds and heavy rainfall, in a rare landfall along the island’s densely populated western coast. The storm left two people dead and more than 330 injured, prompting widespread shutdowns of businesses, schools, and transport networks.
While Taiwan is accustomed to typhoons, they typically strike the less-populated eastern side. Danas defied the usual trajectory, making landfall late Sunday near the southwestern coast before weakening as it moved northward toward the Taiwan Strait.
At its peak, Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration classified Danas at the second-highest intensity level. The storm caused extensive disruption, cutting power to over 500,000 households and forcing the cancellation of more than 300 domestic and international flights, according to government figures.
Authorities expect the storm, now significantly weakened, to make landfall along China’s eastern seaboard later this week.
The impact on Taiwan’s infrastructure and logistics was immediate, though officials say power restoration and flight rescheduling are already underway.
–Input WAM
