Overview

• Taiwan’s fire authorities reported 14 fatalities and 124 people unaccounted for after sudden inundation in Hualien triggered by the overflow event.
• Images and official updates described collapsed bridges and vehicles and buildings swept away, with many victims found on ground floors and many reported as elderly.
• The Japan Meteorological Agency classified Typhoon 18 as large and violent, estimating central pressure near 915 hPa and maximum sustained winds around 55 m/s on Sept. 23.
• Forecasts indicate the system moving across the South China Sea toward southern China around Sept. 24, with Guangdong and Hong Kong closing schools and canceling flights and trains.
• Okinawa’s Sakishima region remained under high‑wave advisories with predicted wave heights of 4–6 meters, and ferry operators canceled about 60 services on Sept. 22.