Typhoon Doksuri: Taiwan cancels major military drills as huge storm approaches from Philippines

Taiwan has cancelled a part of its major annual war games that involves all its military branches as it braces for the most destructive typhoon in almost four years.

Barrelling across the Pacific Ocean towards waters between Taiwan and the Philippines, typhoon Doksuri has intensified into a super typhoon, with powerful winds of 240kph (149mph).

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 on Monday.

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said drills at the civilian Taitung Fengnian Airport, the first of its kind planned for Tuesday, were cancelled in the wave of the strengthening typhoon.

It is unclear if the typhoon will further affect the five-day military drill.

Doksuri is expected to make its way into the Bashi Channel of the Luzon Strait that separates Taiwan and the Philippines, and barrel across waters off Taiwan’s southern coasts, bringing with it heavy rains and strong winds, weather officials said.

After passing through Taiwan and the Philippines, the typhoon will make landfall in southern China later this week.

Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau has urged 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 on Tuesday.

“Taiwan has not seen any typhoon making landfall in more than 1,400 days, and that’s why I urge all government ministries that they must gear up and make preparations,” Taiwan premier Chen Chien-jen said in a statement.

“I’d like to remind citizens not to underestimate the typhoon threats.”

During this time of year, typhoons are frequent in the vicinity of Taiwan. However, the subtropical island has not experienced a direct hit from a typhoon since 2019, leading officials to emphasise the importance of remaining vigilant.

The island’s weather agency said waves have already risen to a height of 8ft in Taiwan’s southernmost point, urging residents to remain vigilant.

In the southern port city of Kaohsiung, authorities rushed to collect hundreds of containers drifting away into the sea after a container ship with a Palau flag sank off in Taiwan’s southern western coast last week.

The 39th edition of Han Kuang is said to be the most diverse and comprehensive drill in decades. Moving forward, it will feature an anti-takeover drill at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, making it the first time that the busiest civilian airport will be used for such drills.

It is the country’s largest and major drill since 1984, that will test the Taiwanese military’s preservation and maintenance of combat capabilities in the event of a full-scale invasion by China.

Spreading in a diameter of 1,000km, Doksuri has already raised storm warning levels in the Philippines’ capital region and dozens of northern provinces. Authorities have begun evacuating some coastal communities in the path of the storm.

Despite eventually losing its power to become either a typhoon or severe typhoon before making landfall, it is expected to hammer densely populated Chinese cities with torrential rain and strong winds.

China’s National Meteorological Centre on Tuesday ordered all offshore fishing boats to find refuge at the nearest port by Wednesday noon in Fujian and told farmers to harvest their rice and other crops that have matured.

Climate scientists have warned that global heating is intensifying storms and typhoons, leading to more frequent and severe occurrences.