Typhoon Krathon made landfall

Typhoon Krathon made landfall at midday on Thursday in southern Taiwan, the island’s meteorological agency announced. It caused strong gusts of wind and rain which left two people dead and more than 100 injured. The typhoon was preceded by strong winds of 126 km/h with gusts of up to 162 km/h and heavy rain.

“Typhoon Krathon made landfall near Xiaogang district in Kaohsiung around 12:40 p.m. today” (04:40 in France), indicated the Central Meteorological Administration of Taiwan (CWA) in a message published on the Line application. Schools and offices on the island have remained closed since Wednesday and residents of the port city of Kaohsiung were urged to take shelter.

“There will be destructive winds in this area. Take shelter as soon as possible”warned meteorologists in messages sent Thursday to the cell phones of residents in the region.

Torrential rains and strong winds

The typhoon has already brought torrential rains and strong winds to the island. Krathon disrupts air traffic, leading to the suspension of all domestic flights on Thursday for the second consecutive day. The typhoon also caused temporary power cuts to nearly 55,000 homes, according to authorities.

Tropical storms are common in Taiwan from July to October. However, a recent study concluded that they are forming closer to shore, gaining intensity more quickly and persisting longer after making landfall due to climate change. In July, Typhoon Gaemi, the most powerful to hit the island in eight years, triggered widespread flooding in Kaohsiung and killed at least ten people in Taiwan, as well as around fifty in China in torrential rains, the result of his passage, and at least 40 in the Philippines.