Super Typhoon Krathon – live: Taiwan shuts schools and cancels flights amid storm surge warning
Typhoon Krathon will cross through Taiwan’s densely populated west coast, including major port city of Kaohsiung
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Schools, restaurants, and shops shut down, and dozens of flights were cancelled as Taiwan braced for Super Typhoon Krathon’s arrival on its western coast.
The typhoon, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 198 kmph and gusts up to 245 kmph, is located 236 kilometres south-southeast of Kaohsiung, where it is expected to make landfall tomorrow.
The storm’s large radius of 220 kilometres means its outer rim has already affected Pingtung, Taitung, and Kaohsiung, with torrential rain and strong winds battering the coastline.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued warnings for extremely heavy rain, with up to 350 mm expected in mountainous areas.
Schools and offices are closed in six cities and counties, and 85 domestic flights, along with international routes, including to Hong Kong, were cancelled. Ferry services to outlying islands have also been halted.
The storm earlier hit the northernmost islands of the Philippines, prompting evacuations, school closures, and warnings of “potentially very destructive” rainfall.
Taiwan mobilises 40,000 troops
Taiwan mobilised nearly 40,000 troops today in preparation for search and rescue operations, with the powerful Typhoon Krathon approaching its populous southwest coast and expected to bring a storm surge.
Taiwan regularly gets hit by typhoons but they generally land along the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific, but this one will make landfall on the island's flat western plain.
Krathon is forecast to hit the major port city of Kaohsiung on Wednesday morning, then work its way across the centre of Taiwan heading northeast and cross out into the East China Sea, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
Kaohsiung, home to some 2.7 million people, declared a holiday and told people to stay at home as Krathon - labelled a super typhoon by the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre - approached.
Li Meng-hsiang, a forecaster for Taiwan's Central Weather Administration, said the storm has reached its maximum intensity and could weaken slightly as it moves closer to Taiwan, warning of gusts of more than 150 kmph (93 mph) for the southwest.
"The storm surge might bring tides inland," Mr Li said. "If it's raining heavily it will make it difficult to discharge waters and as a result coastal areas will be subject to flooding."
Taiwan's defence ministry said it had put more than 38,000 troops on standby, as Kaohsiung residents made their own preparations.
Over 500 people evacuated from Kaohsiung ahead of Typhoon Krathon
As Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan, 521 people have been evacuated from the mountainous regions of Kaohsiung today in anticipation of severe weather.
Local authorities issued landslide warnings for the districts of Taoyuan, Maolin, Namasia, and Liugui, prompting evacuations.
Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai inspected disaster preparedness measures, including flood control systems and the city’s 91 pumping stations, Taiwan News reported.
Kaohsiung is bracing for heavy rainfall, with estimates suggesting up to 800 mm in the mountainous areas.
Schools were moved online and 23,000 sandbags have been distributed across the city to help residents prepare for flooding.
Watch: Philippine Coast Guard tows stranded speedboat as Typhoon Krathon approaches the Philippines
Photos: Staff stock canned food at supermarkets in Taipei ahead of Typhoon Krathon
Philippines: People wade through flooded streets
Mapped: Typhoon Krathon heads to Taiwan after lashing Philippines
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
Over 500 people evacuated from Kaohsiung ahead of Typhoon Krathon
As Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan, 521 people have been evacuated from the mountainous regions of Kaohsiung today in anticipation of severe weather.
Local authorities issued landslide warnings for the districts of Taoyuan, Maolin, Namasia, and Liugui, prompting evacuations.
Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai inspected disaster preparedness measures, including flood control systems and the city’s 91 pumping stations, Taiwan News reported.
Kaohsiung is bracing for heavy rainfall, with estimates suggesting up to 800 mm in the mountainous areas.
Schools were moved online and 23,000 sandbags have been distributed across the city to help residents prepare for flooding.
Map: Typhoon Krathon continues to intensify as it moves closer to Taiwan
Typhoon Krathon is continuing to intensify as it churns towars Taiwan.
The storm is currently located approximately 260 kilometres southeast of Taiwan’s southernmost point, Cape Eluanbi.
It is slowly moving west-northwest at 5 kmph, with maximum sustained winds of 213 kmph and gusts up to 260 kmph, making it close to a Category 4 hurricane.
Krathon’s approach is causing heavy rainfall and dangerous conditions across Taiwan’s eastern and southern regions.
Hong Kong set to experience extreme heat amid Typhoon Krathon
Hong Kong is set to experience scorching temperatures today and tomorrow as Typhoon Krathon approaches southern Taiwan.
Though the storm is not expected to directly affect Hong Kong, the city will feel the heat due to the typhoon’s outer subsiding air, causing temperatures to soar across southern China, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
Despite Krathon remaining over 500 kilometres from Hong Kong, residents were advised to stay hydrated and take precautions against the heat on these very hot days.
Forecast animation shows path of Typhoon Krathon
A forecast animation from Zoom Earth, a privately-run weather tracker, shows Typhoon Krathon’s projected path as it heads toward southern Taiwan.
The animation shows the typhoon’s intense wind gusts and possible landfall near Kaohsiung, with winds expected to exceed 200 kmph.
However, the storm’s interaction with Taiwan’s mountainous terrain could lead to unpredictable changes in its direction, making the exact landfall location difficult to forecast.
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