Taiwan has closed schools and offices, evacuating hundreds from vulnerable areas as Typhoon Krathon approaches, expected to strike the island’s densely populated western coast. Scheduled to make landfall on Wednesday, Krathon has already caused widespread disruption, including the cancellation of flights and the evacuation of more than 500 residents from mountainous regions prone to landslides. Nearly 40,000 troops have been mobilized to assist with rescue operations, according to Taiwan’s Defence Ministry.
The typhoon is forecast to hit Kaohsiung, a major port city in southwest Taiwan, early Wednesday afternoon before moving northeast across the island. The Central Weather Administration warned that the capital, Taipei, will experience effects from the storm through Thursday. Kaohsiung’s mayor, Chen Chi-mai, urged the city’s 2.7 million residents to stay indoors and avoid flood-prone areas. Forecasts predict up to 80 cm (31 inches) of rainfall in the surrounding mountainous regions, and Chen emphasized that the typhoon’s impact could be as severe as Typhoon Thelma in 1977, which resulted in 37 deaths.
Many businesses in Taiwan remain closed, and residents have stocked up on essential supplies, leaving supermarket shelves empty. While Taiwan’s western coast is less frequently hit by typhoons, this year’s storm season has been notably active, with Typhoon Gaemi causing significant landslides and flooding in July, leaving 11 people dead.
As Krathon approaches, it is generating maximum sustained winds of 198 kph (123 mph), with gusts reaching 245 kph (152 mph). Taiwan’s coast guard rescued 19 sailors from the Blue Lagoon, a cargo ship that began taking on water amid the storm.
In the northern Philippines, Typhoon Krathon has already left one villager dead and displaced 5,000 people. The storm caused extensive flooding and damaged over 2,400 homes, with local airports and aircraft also suffering severe damage.
