Super Typhoon Krathon – live: Two dead and thousands evacuated as powerful storm inches closer to Taiwan

Philippine Coast Guard tows stranded speedboat amid Typhoon Krathon

Your support helps us to tell the story

My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.

Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.

Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond

Eric Garcia

Washington Bureau Chief

At least two people have died in the Philippines after devastation caused by Typhoon Krathon as the storm now inches closer to Taiwan ahead of landfall.

The island has been bracing for impacts with hundreds of flights cancelled and offices, schools and financial markets closed.

Krathon, now slightly weakened but still a powerful Category 3-equivalent storm, with sustained wind speeds of 185kmph and gusts of up to 240kmph, is expected to strike the southwestern port city of Kaohsiung.

With its northwards march slowed to just 2kmph, Krathon has been lingering, but its bands are already causing rainfall and wind gusts in southern Taiwan.

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.

Typhoons rarely strike Taiwan’s densely populated west coast, usually hitting the mountainous, eastern side of the island facing the Pacific.

One dead in Taiwan from Typhoon Krathon

One person has died in Taiwan amid extreme weather caused by Typhoon Krathon, the fire department has confirmed.

An elderly man in the eastern county of Hualien fell from a tree, the department said.

At least two others are missing and 70 injuries have been reported so far.

Krathon has been lashing the island with heavy rain and wind gusts since Monday.

Stuti Mishra2 October 2024 11:31

Nearly 10,000 evacuated in Taiwan ahead of Typhoon Krothan

Nearly 10,000 people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas across Taiwan, particularly in regions prone to flooding and landslides.

Most of the evacuations are concentrated in southern Taiwan, including cities like Kaohsiung and Pingtung, where the storm is expected to make landfall early morning tomorrow.

Taiwan’s interior ministry has coordinated the evacuations, while local governments have been distributing sandbags and mobilising emergency services.

Taiwan has shut down schools, offices, and its financial markets. Flights and ferry services have been widely cancelled as the storm brings torrential rain and strong winds, with authorities urging the public to remain vigilant and stay indoors.

Stuti Mishra2 October 2024 11:15

Typhoon Krathon in process of weakening, Taiwanese forecaster says

The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has forecast that Typhoon Krathon is gradually weakening as it nears Taiwan’s southwest coast.

The storm is expected to make landfall tomorrow morning, either as a weak typhoon or potentially downgraded to a tropical storm, CWA said.

It will further weaken as it passes over Taiwan, possibly “dissolving” into a tropical depression, the CWA said, while cautioning that the storm could still bring heavy rains for an extended period of time.

Typhoon Krathon was located 130 kilometres southwest of Kaohsiung, moving north-northeast at 8 kilometres per hour at 1.15pm local time (5.15am GMT).

Stuti Mishra2 October 2024 10:30

Photos: Rain drenches Kaohsiung overnight

Residents walk through the rain brought by Typhoon Krathon in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan (EPA)

Motorists drive through the rain brought by Typhoon Krathon in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan (EPA)

Stuti Mishra2 October 2024 10:00

Mapped: Typhoon Krathon path

Typhoon Krathon continues its slow approach toward Taiwan. The map from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) shows the storm’s path and projected wind intensities.

Krathon is expected to make landfall near Kaohsiung tomorrow early morning.

The forecast places Krathon’s maximum sustained wind speeds at 100 knots (185 kmph) near landfall, with the outer bands already affecting southern Taiwan.

Wind speeds of up to 90 knots (167 kmph) are expected as the storm progresses inland, affecting areas as far north as Tainan and Taichung. The storm’s effects will also be felt across Taipei as it moves northward after landfall.

Map shows Typhoon Krathon’s projected path and wind intensities (Joint Typhoon Warning Centre)

Stuti Mishra2 October 2024 09:30

Video: Wind gusts and waves in Donggang

A video shared by storm chaser Jason H on X shows heavy winds and high tides in Donggang town in southwestern Taiwan.

“Fairly rough conditions going on outside our hotel in Donggang,” he wrote.

Stuti Mishra2 October 2024 09:00

Will Typhoon Krathon impact Taipei?

Krathon is forecast to make landfall near Kaohsiung or Tainan city either tonight or tomorrow morning local time, and from there it is projected to move northeast toward Taipei over the next day or so.

While the storm is expected to weaken as it moves inland, it could still cause significant damage, particularly due to heavy rain, flooding, and strong winds.

Authorities have issued extreme rain and wind warnings for multiple regions, with storm surge risks persisting along the coast.

Offices, schools, and businesses across Taiwan, including the financial market in Taipei is already shut as a precaution.

People walk in the rain with a backdrop of the rainbow in the sky as Typhoon Krathon approaches to Taiwan in Taipei (AP)

Stuti Mishra2 October 2024 08:30

Typhoon Krathon warning expanded to 13 cities and counties

Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) expanded typhoon warnings to cover 13 cities and counties, stretching from the southern tip of the island up to Miaoli in the north.

As of 1.15pm local time (5.15am GMT), Typhoon Krathon was located 130 kilometres southwest of Kaohsiung, moving north-northeast at 8 kilometres per hour.

The outer rim of the storm has already engulfed Taitung and extended up the west coast as far as Yunlin, with bands of heavy rain and strong winds posing a significant threat to areas further north.

The cities and counties under the warning include Nantou, Chiayi County, Chiayi City, Pingtung, Changhua, Penghu, Taichung, Tainan, Taitung, Hualien, Miaoli, Yunlin, and Kaohsiung.

Authorities are asking residents across these regions to prepare for potential flooding, landslides, and storm surges as Typhoon Krathon makes its slow approach towards southwestern Taiwan, with landfall possible either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Stuti Mishra2 October 2024 08:10

Why is Typhoon Krathon’s landfall rare?

Typhoon Krathon is set to make an unprecedented landfall on Taiwan’s heavily populated west coast near Kaohsiung, bringing flooding and disruption 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 partly why Taiwan’s population is densely concentrated on its west coast and very few people live on the Pacific east coast – which receives the brunt of most storms.

“Typhoon Krathon is going to take a track and make landfall on the west coast of Taiwan near Kaohsiung based on the latest data,” he said.

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 told The Independent.

Stuti Mishra2 October 2024 07:50

No major impact from Typhoon Krathon, chip maker says

TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple and Nvidia supplier, said it did not expect the typhoon would have a significant impact on operations.

TSMC’s factories are along the west coast, where the typhoon is set to make a rare landfall, some in the city of Tainan.

Most typhoons impact the southeastern parts of Taiwan and the western parts, which house some of the biggest companies and millions of people, remain safe from impacts.

However, experts have expressed concerns that Krathon’s path could cause disruption to Taiwan’s financial hubs.

Stuti Mishra2 October 2024 07:30