As Typhoon Fitow continues to make headway through China, airlines are recommending caution for passengers travelling towards Taipei and Eastern China.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, Fitow unleashed over 500mm of rain and gusts of up to 180km/h yesterday. Fujian authorities have evacuated about 96,000 people from low-lying areas, while Zhejiang, Fujian and Shanghai have all reportedly removed "Golden Week" (National Day holiday) tourists from offshore islands.
Numerous flights were also affected by the averse weather, with Wenzhou's airport canceling 27 flights, and officials at Taiwan Taoyuan airport reporting the cancellation of 21 outbound flights and 22 inbound flights in addition to three delays.
One of the cancellations yesterday was China Eastern flight MU5028 from Hong Kong to Wenzhou. The airline has since advised passengers to postpone and re-plan their itineraries, and has offered to waive refund and rebooking fees.
Both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair have issued bulletins on their websites today, detailing that they are monitoring the potential impact of Typhoon Fitow. While flight operations currently remain normal, both carriers have advised customers to check their flight status before departing for the airport. Flight schedules are available on www.cathaypacific.com or www.dragonair.com.
According to the Hong Kong Observatory, as of 10am local time, Fitow is currently centred around 80km north-northwest of Fuzhou. The tropical storm is forecast to move west or west-southwest at about 16km per hour and is expected to dissipate gradually.
Clement Huang
