TAIWANESE authorities on Tuesday evacuated over 3,000 residents as Typhoon Fung-wong approached, issuing a land warning and preparing for heavy rainfall along the island’s mountainous eastern coast.
Fung-wong, which recently swept through the Philippines and claimed six lives, is forecast to make landfall on Taiwan’s southwestern coast near the major port city of Kaohsiung on Wednesday.
It is then expected to traverse the southern part of the island before moving out into the Pacific along the sparsely populated eastern counties of Taitung and Hualien.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (pic) urged residents not to venture into the mountains or along the coast. Writing on Facebook, he warned people to avoid potentially dangerous areas. In September, Hualien experienced deadly flooding during another typhoon that killed 18 people.
The government has ordered evacuations in the town of Guangfu, which was heavily affected in the previous floods, and reported that a total of 3,337 people across four counties and cities have been relocated to safer locations.
Schools and offices were closed on Tuesday in Hualien and the neighbouring county of Yilan as a precaution.
The northern city of Hsinchu, home to the world’s largest contract chipmaker TSMC, is not expected to be directly affected by the storm. - November 11, 2025
