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

Typhoon Krathon's slow movement has raised concerns about its potential impact on Taiwan.

The storm is traveling at a speed of just 4-5 kmph, with its outer bands lashing Taiwan since yesterday. Krathon is expected to make landfall in the morning and then continue impacting Taiwan through until Thursday as it slowly moves over the island, eventually weakening.

While fast-moving typhoons cause significant damage, slow-moving storms often prove to be even more devastating.

Slow-moving typhoons tend to linger over an area for longer periods, leading to exceptional volumes of rainfall. In Krathon's case, regions like Pingtung and Taitung have already accumulated 300 mm of rain, with totals potentially exceeding 600 mm in some areas. This extended rainfall dramatically increases the risk of flooding and landslides, particularly in mountainous regions, where the saturated soil becomes unstable.

The affected regions are also subjected to the storm's intense winds for a longer duration, increasing the likelihood of structural damage and power outages.

Typhoon Krathon has maintained its fierce intensity while moving slowly across the South China Sea.

The storm's centre was located at 208 kilometres south-southeast of Kaohsiung this afternoon local time, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Krathon's maximum sustained winds near the centre have intensified to 198 kmph, with gusts reaching 270 kmph, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded its weather warnings to include several more regions after Krathon intensified into a super typhoon earlier.

The warning now also includes Penghu, Yunlin, and Hualien. Some parts of Taiwan have already accumulated up to 300mm of rainfall.

The slow moving storm is expected to bring extreme weather throughout much of Taiwan's main island from today through Thursday.

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.

Krathon has intensified into a Category 4 storm today. It is expected to bring 4-20 inches (100-508 mm) of rain, with the heaviest totals on Taiwan’s eastern coast.

While the top manufacturer TSMC has said they do not expect impacts on their operation, experts warn the extreme weather could pose challenges like infrastructure damage and supply chain issues.

Kaohsiung is home to many industrial facilities, including suppliers for the aviation components, consumer and industrial electronics, industrial metals, and industrial chemicals industries.

“The area hosts several industrial estates and science and technology centers with manufacturing concentrations, including the Kaohsiung Luzhu Science Park, the Nanzih Technology Industrial Park, and the Kaohsiung Ciaotu Science Park,” Jena Santoro, senior manager of Intelligence Solutions at Everstream, said.

“Together, these parks form a semiconductor manufacturing corridor in southern Taiwan which supports the development of the most advanced semiconductors through companies.”

“Typhoon Krathon’s forecasted Category 4 strength puts this high-value industry cluster at risk of disruption from preemptive production halts, personnel shortages due to evacuations, prolonged power outages, and production delays prompted by damage to facilities and equipment.”

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.