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.
Typhoon Krathon still inching towards Taiwan
Typhoon Krathon is still making its way towards Taiwan, forecast to hit between Kaohsiung and its neighbouring city of Tainan in the early hours of Thursday, then work its way up the west coast towards the capital Taipei, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
All cities and counties in Taiwan declared a day off on Wednesday, shutting financial markets. Domestic flights have been cancelled for the day, along with 246 international ones.
The north-south high speed rail line remained open, but with a reduced number of operations.
The typhoon has weakened, but the threat from a storm surge and strong winds and rain remains as it slowly makes its way towards Taiwan’s coast, the weather administration said.
Mapped: Typhoon Krathon location and forecast
Mapped: Typhoon Krathon heads to Taiwan after lashing Philippines
Meteorologists warn it is ‘rare’ for such a powerful typhoon to make a direct hit on Taiwan’s western plains
Why is Typhoon Krathon's landfall rare?
Typhoon Krathon is set to make an unprecedented landfall on Taiwan’s heavily populated west coast near Kaohsiung, bringing weather disruptions to the region’s industrial and semiconductor sectors.
“Normally, typhoons in the western Pacific (especially in a place like Taiwan) track from east to west across this area,” Jon Davis, Chief meteorologist at Everstream Analytics, said.
This is why Taiwan has a heavy concentration of people and businesses on the West Coast of the Island while very few people live on the East Coast of Taiwan – the area of normally higher risk.
Typhoon Krathon is going to take a track and make landfall on the West Coast of Taiwan near Kaohsiung based on the latest data.” Krathon’s west coast track is rare, with no major typhoon (Category 3 or higher) making landfall near Kaohsiung in the past 34 years, Mr Davis said.
“This will be an unprecedented event for the southwest portion of Taiwan,” he wrote in a statement.
What is storm surge?
A storm surge is an abnormal rise in sea level during a storm, caused by strong winds and low pressure pushing seawater onto the land.
It’s one of the most dangerous aspects of tropical cyclones, including hurricanes and typhoons, often leading to severe flooding in coastal areas.
In the case of Typhoon Krathon, authorities in Taiwan are particularly concerned about storm surges as the storm's strong winds and heavy rains push large volumes of seawater inland, potentially flooding vulnerable coastal regions.
With waves expected to reach up to 8 metres, coastal defences are being put in place to mitigate the risk of serious flooding.
Typhoon Krathon disrupts flights in Hong Kong and Taiwan
Super Typhoon Krathon is causing travel disruption in Taiwan and Hong Kong as it nears landfall.More than 94 flights have been cancelled across Taiwan, according to Taiwan News.
HK Express said it would cancel 12 flights travelling between Hong Kong and Taichung, Taipei and Kaohsiung on Wednesday and Thursday, SCMP reported.
The storm is set to hit Taiwan’s southern port city of Kaohsiung tomorrow morning local time.
Why slow-moving typhoons like Krathon can be more devastating
Typhoon Krathon's slow movement has raised concerns about its potential impact on Taiwan.
The storm is traveling at a speed of just 4-5 kmph, with its outer bands lashing Taiwan since yesterday. Krathon is expected to make landfall in the morning and then continue impacting Taiwan through until Thursday as it slowly moves over the island, eventually weakening.
While fast-moving typhoons cause significant damage, slow-moving storms often prove to be even more devastating.
Slow-moving typhoons tend to linger over an area for longer periods, leading to exceptional volumes of rainfall. In Krathon's case, regions like Pingtung and Taitung have already accumulated 300 mm of rain, with totals potentially exceeding 600 mm in some areas. This extended rainfall dramatically increases the risk of flooding and landslides, particularly in mountainous regions, where the saturated soil becomes unstable.
The affected regions are also subjected to the storm's intense winds for a longer duration, increasing the likelihood of structural damage and power outages.
Mapped: Typhoon Krathon location and forecast
Typhoon Krathon has maintained its fierce intensity while moving slowly across the South China Sea.
The storm's centre was located at 208 kilometres south-southeast of Kaohsiung this afternoon local time, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA).
Krathon's maximum sustained winds near the centre have intensified to 198 kmph, with gusts reaching 270 kmph, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane.
Taiwan expands warnings as Typhoon Krathon intensifies
Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded its weather warnings to include several more regions after Krathon intensified into a super typhoon earlier.
The warning now also includes Penghu, Yunlin, and Hualien. Some parts of Taiwan have already accumulated up to 300mm of rainfall.
The slow moving storm is expected to bring extreme weather throughout much of Taiwan's main island from today through Thursday.
Typhoon Krathon poses 'unprecedented' threat to semiconductor sector
Typhoon Krathon is set to make an unprecedented landfall on Taiwan’s heavily populated west coast near Kaohsiung, bringing weather disruptions to the region’s industrial and semiconductor sectors.
“Normally, typhoons in the western Pacific (especially in a place like Taiwan) track from east to west across this area,” Jon Davis, Chief meteorologist at Everstream Analytics, said.
This is why Taiwan has a heavy concentration of people and businesses on the West Coast of the Island while very few people live on the East Coast of Taiwan – the area of normally higher risk.
Typhoon Krathon is going to take a track and make landfall on the West Coast of Taiwan near Kaohsiung based on the latest data.” Krathon’s west coast track is rare, with no major typhoon (Category 3 or higher) making landfall near Kaohsiung in the past 34 years, Mr Davis said.
“This will be an unprecedented event for the southwest portion of Taiwan,” he wrote in a statement.
Krathon has intensified into a Category 4 storm today. It is expected to bring 4-20 inches (100-508 mm) of rain, with the heaviest totals on Taiwan’s eastern coast.
While the top manufacturer TSMC has said they do not expect impacts on their operation, experts warn the extreme weather could pose challenges like infrastructure damage and supply chain issues.
Kaohsiung is home to many industrial facilities, including suppliers for the aviation components, consumer and industrial electronics, industrial metals, and industrial chemicals industries.
“The area hosts several industrial estates and science and technology centers with manufacturing concentrations, including the Kaohsiung Luzhu Science Park, the Nanzih Technology Industrial Park, and the Kaohsiung Ciaotu Science Park,” Jena Santoro, senior manager of Intelligence Solutions at Everstream, said.
“Together, these parks form a semiconductor manufacturing corridor in southern Taiwan which supports the development of the most advanced semiconductors through companies.”
“Typhoon Krathon’s forecasted Category 4 strength puts this high-value industry cluster at risk of disruption from preemptive production halts, personnel shortages due to evacuations, prolonged power outages, and production delays prompted by damage to facilities and equipment.”
Taiwan’s president warns of 'catastrophic damage' from Typhon Krathon
Taiwan’s president warned that the storm could impose ‘catastrophic damage” on the island and warned “everyone must be particularly vigilant.”
“Typhoon Krathon has intensified into a strong typhoon with strong wind, heavy rain and high storm surge, and it is set to bring catastrophic damage,” Taiwan president Lai Ching-te said today during a visit to the Central Emergency Operations Centre, which was set up over the weekend to coordinate response measures to the typhoon.
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