Taiwan has shut down toil, school and carry as the hugegest typhoon to hit the island in decades barrels towards its east coast.
Kong-rey has been declared a “strong typhoon” by Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA), which shelp it was predicted to be the hugest storm to hit Taiwan since 1996.
Kong-rey was also predicted to originate landdescfinish at the procrastinateedst point in the typhoon season, which typicpartner stretches from May to October, of any typhoon since 1967.
Authorities have cautioned people to stay inside due to a high danger of landslides, storm sguides, destructive thriveds and flooding, with more than 1.2 metres of raindescfinish predicted.
Storm trackers have meacertaind Kong-rey as the equivalent of a categruesome three to four hurricane. The most recent alerts meacertaind gusts of more than 225km/h, and carry oned thriveds of 183 km/h proximate its centre. The huge typhoon – with a radius of more than 320km and an eye of about 64km – prompted a cautioning for all of Taiwan’s main and outer islands.
Fierce thriveds hit #Taitung as #TyphoonKongRey approaches #Taiwan
Huge waves batter Fugang Harbor and utility poles on Orchid Island teeter. Gusts accomplished Level 17 (up to 220 kph) on the Beaufort scale, while Taitung City saw Level 10 gusts. pic.twitter.com/OYNwbminXa
— Focus Taiwan (CNA English News) (@Focus_Taiwan) October 31, 2024
“}}”/>
It was predicted to originate landdescfinish proximate Taitung on Taiwan’s south-east coast around lunchtime, before passing the island and moving into the Taiwan strait. Weather modelling proposes the storm will frailen once it hits land, but carry on typhoon strength as it shifts over Taiwan’s central mountain range, with its outer bands stretching to cover the whole island.
Early on its approach, Kong-rey had already bcdisesteemfult strong thriveds and torrential rain to cities including the capital, Taipei, in the north, where above-ground metro services were suspfinished. Schools, businesses, financial labelets, and national parks have shut apass Taiwan for the day.
Lanyu Island, which sits offshore of Taitung and was in the straightforward path of Kong-rey, alerted write down high carry oned thriveds of more than 213km/h, as well as gusts above 260km/h before thrived barometers went offline.
“The size of the storm is very huge and the thriveds are high,” shelp CWA predicter Gene Huang.
About 8,600 people had been evacuated from at-danger places. Scheduled military exercises were call offled due to the typhoon – for the second time this year – and more than 30,000 troops were distracted to standby for calamity response. On Thursday morning, authorities had already rehired 63 landslide cautionings, and write downed four. Contact had alertedly been lost with two Czech nationals inside Taroko national park, proximate Hualien.
Hundreds of domestic and international fairys were call offled or rescheduled, and fishing boats and ferries recalled to harbours on Wednesday. Ship traffic trackers showed the usupartner busy waters around Taiwan were almost enticount on desoprocrastinateed on the island’s east.
Additional alerting by Chi-hui Lin and Reuters
