Typhoon Podul was the 11th tropical cyclone of the 2025 Pacific Typhoon Season. It made landfall in Taiwan and China, before dissipating over the Chinese Mainland. This was a classic Taiwan Typhoon, moving from East to West very quickly, and the strongest Typhoon of the 2025 season so far. In this blog, we will share some memories of this storm and its impact on Taiwan.
🏯 Planning your trip to Taiwan? 🌊
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: Spring and Autumn when it is not too hot or cold and less rainy
- How to get there: Plane tickets via Trip.com
- Best places to stay can be found on Agoda
- Book tours and activities in Taiwan on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
Storm Formation and Path
Typhoon Podul became a depression on August 6th, 2025, and was upgraded to a tropical storm on August 8th. On August 9th, it strengthened into a Typhoon. The Typhoon had maximum winds of 150 km/h, making it a solid Category 2, and the strongest Typhoon of the season so far. Podul landed in Taimali, Taitung, leaving one person missing and 112 injured.
Early forecast models predicted that the storm would directly hit Taiwan, which it did.
View of the Typhoon before making landfall.
As the Typhoon tracked forward, it became clear it would probably hit southern Taiwan near Taitung.
School and work were cancelled in Yunlin County and the counties south, including Hualien and Taitung, on Wednesday, 8/13.
The Typhoon hit Taimali, Taitung before weakening and quickly moving on to China.
Satellite view at landfall.
My Experience
I was in Taipei during this storm. It was very windy on Wednesday, 8/13, and when I drove my car on the freeway, I could feel it being moved from side to side. There were many strong wind gusts and heavy rain bursts in Taipei on Wednesday, but the weather had completely cleared by Thursday.
Rainfall Totals
In most of southern Taiwan, it rained about 300 mm in a 24-hour period. Some mountain tops got up to 700 mm of rain. This is not a lot for a Taiwan typhoon.
Radar Track and Rainfall Totals
Meme
At one point during the Typhoon, the thunderstorms in the Typhoon made it appear on the Windy app as if it were some part of the male anatomy. It is by far the most popular post I have ever posted as of today. It just goes to show you what people on the internet are thinking about. I am lucky to be alive after posting this because my wife has not killed me yet. I hope people forget about this photo soon.
Videos From Around Taiwan
Safety Precautions During a Typhoon
- Secure loose outside objects
- If you live on the first floor of a flood-prone area, move as many valuables and important objects to higher floors as possible.
- Park your car/scooter on high ground
- Avoid going outside for your safety
- Stay out of the mountains
- Stay away from the ocean
- Have enough dry food and water ready for three days (72 hours) in case water and electricity are cut off.
If you follow the above rules, most Typhoons in Taiwan will not be dangerous. Also, most buildings in Taiwan are built with reinforced concrete that can withstand even the strongest winds, so stay indoors and you will be fine.
Conclusion
This was a powerful and quick storm that packed a punch to southern Taiwan. Luckily, it moved very fast and left Taiwan quickly, minimizing its impact.
For more Typhoon history, check out our full 2024 Taiwan Typhoon Season post here.
