Schools, offices and financial markets remained shut for a second day in as Typhoon Krathon made landfall around noon in the southwestern port city of Kaohsiung.
“Typhoon Krathon has made landfall near Kaohsiung’s Xiaogang district at around 12:40 p.m. today (0440 UTC/GMT),” said Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) in a post on the Line messaging app.
The typhoon hit with maximum sustained winds of 126 kph (78 mph) near its center, with gusts of 162 kph (101 mph), according to weather authorities.
Residents had been warned by the CWA to stay indoors due to and winds.
Local media called it a “weird” storm as it landed on the west coast instead of east, which is more common for typhoons. Krathon landed as a weakened Category 1 storm, after hovering off the coast for a while.
Parts of eastern Taiwan recorded rainfall of more than 1.6 meters (5.2 feet), causing rocks to slide down off hillsides.
The capital, Taipei, in northern Taiwan also experienced some rainfall, though shops and malls remained open.
The typhoon is expected to slowly move towards the western plains and weaken further before reaching Taipei on Friday.
Two dead, several injured
Two people have lost their lives and about 123 are injured, the National Fire Agency said.
The dead included a 70-year-old man in Hualien, who died after falling while trimming trees. A 66-year-old lost died near Taitung after his truck hit a rock that had fallen on the road.
All domestic flights were suspended, and around 240 international flights were canceled.
“We urge residents not to go out unless necessary. So far, Kaohsiung has recorded 356 disaster cases, mostly falling trees and advertising signs,” Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai said in the morning.
Kaohsiung experienced strong winds that swayed buildings, glass windows and uprooted some trees. Three motorcyclists were swept to the ground.
In Pingtung county, strong waves crashed along the coast, video footage showed.
Chipmaker TSMC and several other factories in the Southern Taiwan Science Park remained operational.
Typhoon Krathon approached Taiwan from the Philippines, where it caused damage to homes and power outages.
Typhoons are common around this time of the year in Taiwan, but they usually occur along the mountainous, sparsely populated east coast.
The memories of are still strong in the country. In July, Gaemi became the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in eight years, killing at least 10 people, injuring hundreds
In 1977, Typhoon Thelma killed 37 people in Taiwan.
Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of typhoons in the region.
tg/sms (AFP, AP, Reuters)
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