Typhoon Danas struck southern Taiwan early Monday (July 7) with powerful winds and heavy rainfall, killing two people and injuring over 330 in an unusual hit to the island’s heavily populated west coast, where schools and businesses were closed. Though Taiwan frequently experiences typhoons, they typically hit the less populated eastern side facing the Pacific Ocean. Danas, once ranked as the second-highest intensity storm by Taiwan's weather agency, came ashore in the southwest late Sunday before moving north toward the Taiwan Strait.

The storm has since weakened significantly and is projected to reach eastern China later this week. President Lai Ching-te noted on Facebook that the typhoon’s path was uncommon and would impact the entire island with wind and rain in succession, urging residents to stay prepared. Government data reported that over 500,000 households lost electricity, more than 300 flights were canceled, and the high-speed rail service along the island’s spine was reduced.

The National Fire Agency confirmed two fatalities—one from a fallen tree while driving, and another due to a respirator failure caused by a power outage. In Yunlin County, wind speeds reached a record 220 kilometers per hour, and over 700 trees and street signs were toppled across western regions. Despite the storm, there were no major disruptions reported at Tainan Science Park, home to major tech companies like TSMC.

Meanwhile, in China’s Zhejiang province, authorities raised the emergency alert to the second-highest level. As of 10 a.m. Monday, 121 passenger vessels and 64 ferry routes were suspended, along with 181 construction projects, including wind farms, according to state media. China’s weather agency forecasts that Danas will approach the coastal area between Zhejiang’s Taizhou and Fujian’s Fuzhou, making landfall late Tuesday.