Typhoon Krathon – live: Taiwan tells millions to seek shelter as slow-moving storm makes landfall
Hundreds of international flights disrupted for third day
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Residents in Taiwan were told to seek shelter as Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taiwan, with the island fully shut for the second day.
Krathon, a slow moving storm which has been lashing Taiwan since Monday, slammed into the major port city Kaohsiung as a much weaker Category 1 typhoon around midday.
Early this morning residents in the city of some 2.7 million people received texted warnings telling them to seek shelter from gusts of more than 160 kmph (100 mph).
At least two people have died in Taiwan from extreme weather caused by Krathon, both elderly men.
Earlier, two people were killed in the Philippines when the storm lashed the northern islands of the archipelago.
All domestic flights were cancelled for a second day, as well as 236 international ones. The north-south high speed rail line suspended services and Taiwan’s financial markets also closed for a second day.
The typhoon is forecast to slowly work its way up Taiwan’s flat western plain and weaken further into a tropical depression by late Friday before reaching the capital Taipei.
Tens of thousands left without power in Taiwan
Around 51,000 households in Taiwan are without electricity following the landfall of Typhoon Krathon, according to Taiwan Power Company (Taipower).
At its peak the storm caused outages for over 176,000 households, but power has been restored to approximately 70 per cent of the affected areas.
The worst-hit regions include Kaohsiung with 23,556 households still waiting for power restoration and Pingtung County where 23,210 households remain in the dark.
Other affected regions include Taipei, Yunlin, Taitung, and Chiayi, where teams are working to restore electricity amid ongoing heavy rains and challenging conditions.
Up to 5.5ft of rain batters Taiwan's mountain regions with more to come
Mountainous areas in the island's south have seen up to 169cm (5.5 feet) of rain over the past five days. Thousands were evacuated from areas vulnerable to mudslides and landslides.
China's weather agency said some eastern and southern parts of Taiwan are still set to see more extremely heavy rain, with up to 40cm (1.3 feet) falling over the next 24 hours.
Hospital fire kills 9 in Taiwan amid extreme weather from Typhoon Krathon
A fire at a hospital in southern Taiwan killed at least nine people today as the island was being battered by a typhoon.
The fire occurred in Pingtung county, which has been hit hard by Typhoon Krathon, which made landfall in the afternoon with torrential rains and heavy winds and has brought parts of the island to a standstill.
Those who died inhaled smoke from the fire, the source of which was still under investigation.
Soldiers from a nearby base were mobilised to help medical workers and firefighters in the evacuation of patients and putting out the flames.
Reports said 176 patients were rushed to the front entrance and transferred to ambulances in the pouring rain. They were moved to shelters nearby.
Associated Press
Satellite image shows Typhoon Krathon over Taiwan
A satellite image captured by the Himawari-8 weather satellite today shows Typhoon Krathon as it makes landfall in southern Taiwan.
The storm hit near Kaohsiung earlier in the day as a weakened system, but it continues to bring torrential rain and powerful winds across the region.
The image illustrates the storm's spiral structure as it moves northward, with bands of clouds spreading across the island and surrounding regions, causing significant weather disturbances.
Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) has issued multiple advisories for heavy rain, especially in southern and eastern parts of the island.
Even though the typhoon has weakened, it remains a serious concern due to the heavy rainfall and risk of flooding and landslides across Taiwan.
Multiple heavy rain advisories to last until Friday
Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) has issued a series of Heavy Rain Advisories across Taiwan, with torrential rainfall expected to continue.
The advisories are in effect from Thursday morning through Friday morning.
Rainfall is affecting key areas like Keelung, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taipei, Pingtung, and Hualien.
Typhoon Krathon made landfall near Kaohsiung earlier today, after lingering along the coast for two days and lashing the island throughout. Although weakened, the storm continues to bring significant rainfall across Taiwan.
Krathon becomes first typhoon in almost three decades to make landfall in southwestern Taiwan
Photos: Trees blown down, houses damaged as Typhoon Krathon makes landfall
Why Typhoon Krathon's landfall was 'weird'
Typhoon Krathon's landfall has been labelled "weird" by Taiwanese media as the storm brought the island to a halt.
Typhoons often hit Taiwan's east coast facing the Pacific, but Krathon is unusual in that it directly hit the populated west coast.
The storm also hovered along the coast for an unusually long period, lashing the island with rainfall and wind gusts since Monday.
Despite intensifying dramatically on its approach to Taiwan, the storm eventually made landfall at midday today as a weaker typhoon with windspeeds equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
Typhoon Krathon makes landfall with Taiwan brought to standstill
Typhoon Krathon has made landfall in Taiwan’s Kaohsiung city at around midday local time, arriving as a weaker Category 1 typhoon.
The slow-moving Typhoon has been lashing Taiwan since Monday with its outer bands causing heavy rains and wind gusts.
The storm earlier intensified to an equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane but then lost some of its strength before landfall.
Despite its weakened state, the storm has caused significant disruption across Taiwan, forcing the country to remain shut down for a second day.
So far, two people have died, and hundreds of flights have been grounded. Financial markets also remain closed.
The Taiwanese government urged residents to remain indoors due to torrential rain, strong winds, and the threat of storm surges.
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