Super Typhoon Krathon – live: Three dead in Philippines as Taiwan braces for storm’s landfall
Taiwan president warns citizens to expect ‘catastrophic damage’
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At least three people have died from extreme weather caused by Typhoon Krathon as Taiwan braces for the storm's landfall.
Krathon, now slightly weakened but still a powerful Category 3-equivalent storm with sustained wind speeds of 173kmph and gusts of up to 209kmph, is expected to strike the southwestern port city of Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
Taiwan saw its first death related to the typhoon on Wednesday when an elderly man in Hualien fell from a tree, the fire department said. Earlier two people died as Krathon brought extreme rainfall to the northern Philippines.
With its northwards march slowed to just 8kmph, Krathon has been lingering, but its outer bands are already causing rainfall and wind gusts in southern Taiwan.
The island shut down on Wednesday as it braced for the storm, with hundreds of flights cancelled and offices, schools and financial markets closed.
Rainfall in southern regions, particularly Kaohsiung and Tainan, is forecast to be extreme, with some areas bracing for up to 800mm of rain.
“It [Krathon] is set to bring catastrophic damage,” Taiwan president Lai Ching-te said.
Photos: Staff stock canned food at supermarkets in Taipei ahead of Typhoon Krathon
Over 500 people evacuated from Kaohsiung ahead of Typhoon Krathon
As Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan, 521 people have been evacuated from the mountainous regions of Kaohsiung today in anticipation of severe weather.
Local authorities issued landslide warnings for the districts of Taoyuan, Maolin, Namasia, and Liugui, prompting evacuations.
Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai inspected disaster preparedness measures, including flood control systems and the city’s 91 pumping stations, Taiwan News reported.
Kaohsiung is bracing for heavy rainfall, with estimates suggesting up to 800 mm in the mountainous areas.
Schools were moved online and 23,000 sandbags have been distributed across the city to help residents prepare for flooding.
Forecast animation shows path of Typhoon Krathon
A forecast animation from Zoom Earth, a privately-run weather tracker, shows Typhoon Krathon’s projected path as it heads toward southern Taiwan.
The animation shows the typhoon's intense wind gusts and possible landfall near Kaohsiung, with winds expected to exceed 200 kmph.
However, the storm's interaction with Taiwan's mountainous terrain could lead to unpredictable changes in its direction, making the exact landfall location difficult to forecast.
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