Taiwan suspended work and classes on some outlying islands and fishers secured their boats Wednesday as authorities warned approaching Super Typhoon Kong-rey could trigger landslides.
Strong winds and heavy rains were expected to pound swathes of the island of 23 million people ahead of Kong-rey making landfall in the southeast on Thursday afternoon.
Kong-rey was packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 240 kilometres (150 miles) per hour as it neared Taiwan, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest update.
Fishers wearing raincoats tied down their boats in the harbour of Yilan county, southeast of Taipei, as rain fell.
“Of course I’m worried. All my assets are here,” a fisherman, who gave his name as Captain Chen, told AFP.
Kong-rey was expected to dump the heaviest rain over Taiwan’s eastern and northern coastal areas and the mountains in central and southern regions, said state forecaster the Central Weather Administration.
Yilan and the eastern county of Hualien were expected to be hardest hit, with accumulated rainfall from Tuesday to Friday reaching 800 millimetres to 1,200 millimetres (31 inches to 47 inches), forecaster Chang Chun-yao told AFP.
“Based on the projected path of the typhoon, we advise Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung to take precautions against potential landslides and debris flows in areas expected to receive heavy rainfall,” Chang said.
On Taitung County’s two main islands, where the typhoon is expected to make a direct strike based on its present trajectory, work and classes were suspended.
Additionally, ferry services between the Chinese port city of Xiamen and Taiwan’s outlying island of Kinmen were suspended.
Chang said it was uncommon for such a strong typhoon to strike Taiwan this late in the year, even though the island is used to frequent tropical storms from July to October.
“A moderate or more powerful typhoon rarely makes landfall in late October. Chang told AFP that the most recent event was Typhoon Nock-ten in October 2004.
Scientists have warned that storms are becoming more intense due to climate change, resulting in powerful gusts, flash floods, and heavy rainfall.
Gaemi, the most powerful typhoon to hit Taiwan in eight years, killed at least ten people, injured hundreds more, and caused extensive flooding in the southern maritime city of Kaohsiung in July.
Krathon followed in early October, causing mudslides, flooding, and record-strong gusts in addition to killing at least four people and injuring hundreds more.
