Taiwan's threatening Super Typhoon Chanthu lost strength on Saturday as it approached the island, the central weather bureau said, downgrading it to a medium storm.
This force 5 typhoon formed in just 48 hours, threatening the Philippines and Taiwan.
It should ultimately not touch Taiwan and remain offshore, although not without consequences for the whole country, according to forecaster Wu Wan-Hua.
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"
Taiwan will be under the influence of the typhoon for the whole evening (of Saturday) and all day tomorrow because the winds and the rains are expected to increase everywhere
" on the island, he said.
2,000 people evacuated
At 12:00 GMT, Chanthu was 100 kilometers east of the southeastern end of the island, causing wind gusts of up to 198 kilometers per hour.
More than a hundred local and international flights as well as local maritime links have been suspended, said the national center for rescue operations.
About 2,000 people living in flood-prone areas were evacuated and portions of highways closed.
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Taiwan is regularly hit by tropical storms during the summer months. Typhoons become more powerful and intensify faster as the planet warms due to man-made climate change.
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