Typhoon Disrupts Power, Flights in Taiwan En Route to China

(Bloomberg) -- Hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power and flights were canceled as Typhoon Haikui swept across the south of Taiwan, with the storm now heading for China. 

Almost 250,000 households saw power outages at some point over the weekend, mainly in the southern half of the island, according to a statement from Taiwan Power Co. Electricity had been restored to most of them as of 10am Monday.

More than 260 domestic and international flights were canceled as Taiwan hunkered down for its first direct hit by a tropical cyclone in four years. Schools and offices were also shut across the south. There were 44 reports of injuries, according to the Central News Agency, citing data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. 

Haikui has already crossed Taiwan and is making its way across the Taiwan Strait toward the southern Chinese coast. It was located about 90 kilometers (56 miles) north-northwest off the coast of the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan as of 10:15 a.m. Monday, packing sustained winds of up to 108 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 137 kilometers per hour, Taiwan's weather agency said.

The cyclone is set to make landfall along the coast of Fujian and Guangdong early Tuesday morning, according to China's weather service. China Railway Guangzhou Group said it will likely suspend almost 400 trains from 4 p.m. Monday, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Haikui comes after Hong Kong took a hit from Typhoon Saola, the strongest storm to affect the city since at least Mangkhut in 2018. The city returned to work Monday as the airport, businesses and public transportation resumed operations, while street cleaners cleared debris and uprooted trees.

--With assistance from Olivia Tam.

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