Super Typhoon Krathon – live: Two dead in Philippines as Taiwan braces for storm’s landfall

Hong Kong is under intense heat due to Typhoon Krathon as it inches close to Taiwan.

Temperatures soared to around 35 degrees Celsius in several areas of the city.

This unusually high heat is attributed to the typhoon's influence combined with the northeast monsoon expected to sweep through the region.

Although the typhoon is not expected to come close to Hong Kong, the city's weather department issued a "very hot weather warning", advising residents to stay hydrated and avoid outdoor physical activities to prevent heatstroke.

The fire department has reported 46 injuries, mostly in the mountainous eastern county of Taitung, where relentless rainfall and some mudslides have been recorded since Sunday.

One person is also reported missing in the central county of Yunlin.

Hundreds of international flights have been grounded and all domestic travel was stopped today amid Typhoon Krathon in Taiwan.

From yesterday, several airlines were cancelling or rescheduling their flights from Taiwan amid extreme weather.

At least 246 international flights are grounded today, according to Reuters.

Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has cancelled flights between its home base and Taiwan from Tuesday to Friday, according to a press release from the company.

Taiwan's Starlux also rescheduled its flights for later, adding that further changes can be announced later.

The storm has also caused disruptions to train lines. Taiwan's north-south high-speed rail remains operational, though services have been reduced. However, Taiwan Railways has suspended several trains on both the eastern and western lines, including all services on the South Link Railway.

Ferry services have also been halted amid rough seas.

Taiwan has shut down schools, offices and financial markets today ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Krathon.

Officials in the key port city of Kaohsiung, set to be in the eye of the storm, told people to stay home and avoid the sea, rivers and mountains, warning of a repeat of 1977’s Typhoon Thelma that killed 37 and devastated the city of 2.7 million.

All the island’s cities and counties declared a day off while more than 10,000 people were evacuated, mostly in the south and east.

Typhoon Krathon has weakened slightly but continues to be a "very strong" typhoon, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The storm is currently located 130 kilometres south-southwest of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

It is packing maximum sustained winds of 180 kmph, with gusts reaching 252 kmph. Krathon remains classified as a "very strong" typhoon and continues its slow movement north-northeast as it approaches Taiwan.

At least two people are confirmed dead and over 77,000 people were affected in the Philippines after Typhoon Krathon caused significant devastation in the northern part of the archipelago.

One person was electrocuted in Cagayan province, and another fatality was reported in Ilocos Sur, according to Xinhua news agency.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council confirmed that Krathon, which intensified into a super typhoon earlier this week, brought winds of 195 kmph and gusts reaching 240 kmph.

The storm's impact has left widespread damage across three regions as it continues to slowly moves north-northwestward towards Taiwan's highly populated industrial hub, maintaining its strength.

Typhoon Krathon is still making its way towards Taiwan, forecast to hit between Kaohsiung and its neighbouring city of Tainan in the early hours of Thursday, then work its way up the west coast towards the capital Taipei, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.

All cities and counties in Taiwan declared a day off on Wednesday, shutting financial markets. Domestic flights have been cancelled for the day, along with 246 international ones.

The north-south high speed rail line remained open, but with a reduced number of operations.

The typhoon has weakened, but the threat from a storm surge and strong winds and rain remains as it slowly makes its way towards Taiwan’s coast, the weather administration said.

Typhoon Krathon is set to make an unprecedented landfall on Taiwan’s heavily populated west coast near Kaohsiung, bringing weather disruptions to the region’s industrial and semiconductor sectors.

“Normally, typhoons in the western Pacific (especially in a place like Taiwan) track from east to west across this area,” Jon Davis, Chief meteorologist at Everstream Analytics, said.

This is why Taiwan has a heavy concentration of people and businesses on the West Coast of the Island while very few people live on the East Coast of Taiwan – the area of normally higher risk.

Typhoon Krathon is going to take a track and make landfall on the West Coast of Taiwan near Kaohsiung based on the latest data.” Krathon’s west coast track is rare, with no major typhoon (Category 3 or higher) making landfall near Kaohsiung in the past 34 years, Mr Davis said.

“This will be an unprecedented event for the southwest portion of Taiwan,” he wrote in a statement.