Saturday afternoon and the streets of Taipei are empty. Few shops have opened for the day – just Carrefour, the many Seven-elevens that proliferate the capital and a few restaurants. Shoppers and workers alike have stayed home in anticipation of wild weather resulting from typhoon Sepat which hit the small island late last night.
Weather is actually reasonably calm, with scattered showers and irregular bursts of gusty winds but the locals are prepared for much worse.
As wild rains lashed the capital last night, rush hour crowds filled bakeries, convenience stores and small food marts to stock up on instant noodles, breads and other simple food products.
Today it seems almost everyone is staying indoors. Walking around the retail business district it feels like a ghost town. Shops are closed with protective roller-doors pulled down over windows and many exposed windows are taped in anticipation of strong winds. Pedestrians and cars are notably absent from the streets. Buses continue to run (local policy states that bus services continue unless wind speeds reach in excess of 88 miles per hour) however there are few customers to service.
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