Taiwan is shut down due to Typhoon Kong-rey – DW – 31/10/2024

Taiwan’s cities and provinces declared a holiday on Thursday, canceled flights and closed financial markets as the island braced for the arrival of what is expected to be the strongest storm in three decades: Typhoon Kong-rey.

At least 27 people were injured, trees fell and four mudslides were recorded, the National Fire Agency said. It did not provide any further details.

Biggest typhoon in decades

The fast-moving typhoon is expected to make landfall on the sparsely populated east coast around 2 p.m. (0600 GMT), according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA). Strong winds and heavy rainfall are likely to affect almost all of Taiwan.

“Now that the typhoon is approaching, we must be careful of the strong winds near the center,” Chu Mei-lin of the CWA said in a briefing. “Its impact on the whole of Taiwan will be quite severe.

Kong-rey, once a super typhoon, weakened overnight but retains the strength of a Category 4 hurricane with winds of more than 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour), according to storm tracking website Tropical Storm Risk.

Taiwan’s weather forecaster said it will be the largest typhoon in size to hit the island since 1996. Kong-rey was called a “strong typhoon”, the most powerful storm level in Taiwan.

Rainfall of up to 1.2 meters is expected in eastern Taiwan.

Preparations for typhoon Kong-rey

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has put 36,000 troops on standby to assist in rescue efforts.

About 1,300 people have been evacuated from risk areas, the government said. Meanwhile, the National Fire Agency said evacuations began in eight provinces on Wednesday evening and more than 6,200 people had been moved by the evening.

Nearly 300 international flights have been canceled, as have all domestic flights and 139 ferry services to and from surrounding islands, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Transport.

Taiwan’s high-speed rail line is still active, albeit with greatly reduced service.

Typhoons are common in Taiwan around this time of year.

In early October, Typhoon Krathon killed four people and injured more than a hundred. In July, Typhoon Gaemi killed at least 10 people, injured hundreds and caused widespread flooding in the southern seaport of Kaohsiung.

mk/wd (AFP, Reuters)