Super Typhoon Krathon – live: Taiwan puts 38,000 soldiers on standby as schools shut and flights cancelled

Taiwan’s president warned that the storm could impose ‘catastrophic damage” on the island and warned “everyone must be particularly vigilant.”

“Typhoon Krathon has intensified into a strong typhoon with strong wind, heavy rain and high storm surge, and it is set to bring catastrophic damage,” Taiwan president Lai Ching-te said today during a visit to the Central Emergency Operations Centre, which was set up over the weekend to coordinate response measures to the typhoon.

Slow moving Typhoon Krathon is expected to make landfall in southern Taiwan tomorrow afternoon or night, AccuWeather says, bringing with it the possibility of life-threatening conditions.

According to Jason Nicholls, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, Krathon is expected to strike near Kaohsiung City with sustained winds of around 110 mph (175 kmph) and gusts up to 155 mph (250 kmph).

He warned that the storm’s impact could be severe, with significant damage likely to occur.

“Rainfall in Taiwan can total over 24 inches (600 mm), which will result in life-threatening flooding and an increased risk of mudslides,” Mr Nicholls told The Independent. “The strong winds will result in structural damage and power outages,” he added.

Krathon, currently equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane, is intensifying as it approaches Taiwan. But the storm is moving slowly at a speed of around 4-5 kilometres per hour (approximately 2-3 mph). Its bands are already lashing Taiwan's eastern regions with heavy rainfall.

Meteorologists expect torrential rain and powerful winds to affect large swaths of the island, with coastal and mountainous regions particularly vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration has issued heavy rain and wind alerts, urging residents to prepare for potentially catastrophic impacts.

As Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan's southwest coast, Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai compared the storm’s potential devastation to Typhoon Thelma in 1977, which left Kaohsiung without water and electricity and caused the deaths of 37 people.

"After the typhoon, the whole of Kaohsiung was without water and electricity, just like a war," Mr Chen said, urging residents to stay indoors. "As much as possible, limit going out."

According to Li Meng-hsiang, a forecaster from the Central Weather Administration (CWA), Krathon has reached its peak intensity but could weaken slightly before landfall.

"The storm surge might bring tides inland," Li warned. "If it's raining heavily, it will make it difficult to discharge waters, and as a result, coastal areas will be subject to flooding."

Taiwan's defence ministry has mobilised 38,000 troops for rescue and relief operations.

Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said that it has activated its routine typhoon preparation procedures ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Krathon and does not expect a significant impact to its operations.

As Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan's southwest coast, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai compared the storm’s potential devastation to Typhoon Thelma in 1977, which left Kaohsiung without water and electricity and caused the deaths of 37 people.

"After the typhoon, the whole of Kaohsiung was without water and electricity, just like a war," Mr Chen said, urging residents to stay indoors. "As much as possible, limit going out."

According to Li Meng-hsiang, a forecaster from the Central Weather Administration (CWA), Krathon has reached its peak intensity but could weaken slightly before landfall.

"The storm surge might bring tides inland," Li warned. "If it's raining heavily, it will make it difficult to discharge waters, and as a result, coastal areas will be subject to flooding."

Taiwan's defence ministry has mobilised 38,000 troops for rescue and relief operations.

As Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan, authorities have ordered widespread closures of schools and offices across six major cities and counties, including Kaohsiung, Tainan, Pingtung, Hualien, Taitung, and Chiayi.

The storm is expected to make landfall tomorrow, bringing with it severe weather that could last until Thursday.

At least 85 domestic flights and several international routes, particularly those between Taiwan and Hong Kong, have been cancelled as a precaution. Ferry services to outlying islands have also been suspended until further notice.

Typhoon Krathon has further intensified, reaching the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane as it slowly moves towards Taiwan's southwestern coast. The typhoon is packing maximum sustained winds of 198 kmph and gusts up to 270 kmph.

This morning, Krathon was located approximately 236 kilometres south-southeast of Kaohsiung, moving north at a slow pace of 4 kmph.

Krathon is expected to make landfall in southwestern Taiwan tomorrow, with forecasts predicting that the storm could be just 60 kilometres south-southwest of Kaohsiung by 8am local time (midnight GMT).

The typhoon's outer bands have already started impacting southern Taiwan, with heavy rains and strong winds affecting Pingtung and Taitung counties and Kaohsiung City.

Off the southeast coast, Taiwan's coast guard dispatched a boat to rescue 19 sailors from the cargo vessel Blue Lagoon who were forced to abandon ship as it took on water in its engine room, with a rescue helicopter having to turn back due to the wind and rain.

The coast guard said the crew consisted of seven Ukrainians, nine Egyptians and three Russians, which had set off from China's Caofeidian port for Singapore.