KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) — Typhoon Krathon made landfall in the major port city of Kaohsiung on Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 126 kph (78 mph) near its center, with gusts of 162 kph (101 mph). of Taiwan Weather officials.
The A slow moving tornado It has inundated the eastern and southern parts of the island for the past five days, forcing thousands of people to flee mountainous or low-lying areas. Schools and government offices have been closed around the island for two days, and all domestic flights have been cancelled.
Tornadoes and torrential downpours lashed the empty streets.
Many residents woke up Thursday to mobile phone warnings to take shelter from the strongest winds of 134 kph (83 mph), with gusts of 166 kph (103 mph). As the eye of the storm passes over their area and the weather calms down for a while, the weather service warned residents of Kaohsiung and Pingdong counties not to go outside, as the winds and storms will pick up again later.
A man battles strong winds and rain created by Typhoon Krathon in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Xiang Ying-ying)
At least 123 people were injured around the island due to weather-related events caused by the craton, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Two people died — one after driving over rocks that fell on the road in southeastern Taitung County, and the other while cutting tree branches in the city.
f Hualien. Two more are missing.
Thousands were evacuated from areas prone to mudslides and landslides. 40,000 soldiers are ready for rescue operations.
Up to 169 centimeters (5.5 feet) of rain fell in the last five days in mountainous areas in the south of the island.
Some eastern and southern parts of Taiwan are expected to receive up to 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) of heavy rain in the next 24 hours, the China Meteorological Agency said.
Typhoons rarely hit Taiwan’s west coast, instead affecting the mountainous, eastern part of the island. Krathon is forecast to slowly move north and weaken to a tropical depression by Friday before reaching the capital Taipei.
Monday, hurricane hit the northern Philippine IslandsFour people were killed and at least 5,000 displaced, officials said.
