Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Typhoon Krathon is forecast to hit the port city of Kaohsiung tomorrow morning, October 2, then move northeast through central Taiwan and into the East China Sea, according to Reuters.
Kaohsiung, which has a population of about 2.7 million, declared a holiday and asked people to stay home as Typhoon Krathon approached.
Waves crash near a harbor as Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan's Kaohsiung City on October 1.
The US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center has classified Krathon as a super typhoon. A CWA forecaster said Krathon has reached its peak intensity and could weaken as it moves closer to Taiwan, warning of wind gusts of more than 93 mph in the southwest.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Zhi-mei said Krathon was “just as powerful” as Typhoon Thelma in 1977, which killed 37 people and devastated the city. City officials advised residents to stay away from beaches, mountains or rivers and to avoid unnecessary travel.
In Kaohsiung, most shops and restaurants are closed, and the streets are deserted.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it had put more than 38,000 members on standby, while Kaohsiung residents prepared themselves for the storm.
Off the southeast coast, authorities dispatched a boat to rescue 19 crew members from the cargo ship Blue Lagoon, who were forced to abandon ship after water entered the engine room. The ship was en route from a Chinese port to Singapore.
Taiwan's Transportation Authority said 85 domestic flights and nine international flights for October 2 were canceled.
The railway connecting southern and eastern Taiwan has been suspended, while the north-south expressway remains operational.
Meanwhile, the Philippine state weather agency PAGASA said Krathon (known as Super Typhoon Julian in the Philippines) left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) this morning. However, PAGASA warned that Julian could return to PAR in the morning or afternoon of October 2, according to GMA News.
A total of 77,249 people were affected by Typhoon Julian in several areas of the Philippines, according to GMA News citing data from the Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Of those affected, 762 people are in evacuation centers and 1,031 individuals are taking shelter elsewhere.
Classes in 253 areas and work schedules in 108 areas were suspended due to Typhoon Julina, according to GMA News.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dai-loan-huy-dong-gan-40000-binh-si-ung-pho-sieu-bao-krathon-185241001110127627.htm
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