Taiwan: Taiwan has cancelled Han Kuang military drills due to the imminent threat of the most powerful typhoon in nearly four years.
Typhoon Doksuri, barreling across the Pacific Ocean and heading towards the region between Taiwan and the Philippines, has turned into a super typhoon with powerful winds of 240 kilometers per hour.
The Han Kuang exercises, the largest annual exercises in Taiwan that are meant as a display of its military strength against China, were disrupted shortly after their commencement.
The Ministry of National Defence (MND) noted that the drills at the civilian Taitung Fengnian Airport were cancelled because of the strengthening typhoon. It is unclear if the typhoon will further affect the five-day military drill.
According to weather officials, Doksuri is expected to enter the Bashi Channel within the Luzon Strait, which serves as the dividing point between Taiwan and the Philippines. It will then continue its path, passing over the waters along Taiwan’s southern coasts, accompanied by heavy rainfall and powerful winds. After passing through Taiwan and the Philippines, the typhoon will make landfall in southern China.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau has warned residents to prepare for the worst weather conditions as it issued a warning for people residing near coastal areas and said a land warning for southern countries will follow. The subtropical island has not experienced a direct hit from a typhoon since 2019, leading officials to emphasise the importance of remaining vigilant.
“Taiwan has not seen any typhoon make landfall in more than 1,400 days, and that’s why I urge all government ministries to gear up and make preparations,” Taiwan’s premier Mr. Chen Chien-jen remarked in a statement.
“I’d like to remind citizens not to underestimate the typhoon threats,” Mr. Chien-jen added.
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