TAIWANESE authorities are urging people on its eastern coast to prepare for the impact of Super Typhoon Kong-Rey, which has quickly intensified as it approaches the island after hitting the Philippines.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported that Kong-rey, which was heading northwest over the Philippine Sea, had achieved super-typhoon status on Wednesday. With winds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour), it is equivalent to a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane.
The severe typhoon is expected to hit landfall early Thursday (Wednesday evening ET) in Taitung, a sparsely populated county on Taiwan’s rugged southeast coast.
“As the typhoon moves northwest, the storm circle will cover almost all of Taiwan later tonight,” meteorologist Chu Mei-lin of the island’s weather bureau warned in a press conference on Wednesday morning.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a maritime warning Tuesday as the storm approached. On Wednesday, it also issued a land warning for two southern counties that are expected to be impacted by the storm’s outer bands.
Forecasts show that the massive storm may weaken slightly before reaching direct impact on its southern coast, but it remains anticipated to deliver torrential rains, causing flash flooding, storm surges, and the potential of landslides.
“We urge everyone to make preparations accordingly,” Chu said.
Chu warned that when the typhoon reaches landfall, waves could be up to eight meters high. Heavy rain will fall across Taiwan on Thursday, including in Taipei.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the military has put approximately 36,000 soldiers on standby to assist with relief and rescue operations.
According to the Central Emergency Operations Center, more than 6,000 first responders have been placed on standby to assist with the storm response efforts. Most aircraft and ferries in Taiwan are currently operating normally, according to the center on Wednesday.
Taiwan has a great track record of reacting to large typhoons, but rural villages in mountainous areas are particularly susceptible to landslides. Typhoon Krathon killed four people earlier this month when it dumped heavy rainfall in the island’s south.
Taiwan’s two outlying islands, Green Island and Orchid Island, ceased work and classes on Wednesday, according to the county government.
In recent days, northern parts of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon have been pounded by the outer bands of Kong-Rey, also known as Leon, as officials directed evacuations and cautioned of its consequences after Tropical Storm Trami, also known as Kristine, devastated the island last week, killing at least 130 people.
As of Wednesday morning, Kong-rey was still skirting the north coast of the island on its way to Taiwan.
