A first evaluation, which is expected to evolve in the coming hours. The powerful typhoon Kong-rey, one of the strongest that Taiwan has experienced in recent years, made landfall at noon this Thursday, November 31, in Chenggong, in the southeast of the island. It has already caused the death of at least one person and left 73 injured, according to authorities.
The typhoon, accompanied by gusts that reached 184 km/h and torrential rains, made landfall around 1:40 p.m. in the least populated part of this island of 23 million inhabitants, already affected by the monsoon, and where many people have already been displaced. . been evacuated.
The victim is a 56-year-old woman who died after an uprooted tree fell on her vehicle in Nantou County.
320 kilometers radius
Even before the storm hit, waves up to ten meters high were observed and at least 27 people were injured by the weather, including landslides, the National Fire Agency said.
Originally described as the strongest typhoon of the year, Kong-rey now has the same intensity as Typhoon Gaemi, the strongest storm to hit Taiwan in the past eight years, when it arrived in July.
With a radius of 320 kilometers, Kong-rey is considered the largest to make landfall in almost 30 years.
Schools and offices closed
Schools and offices were closed across Taiwan on Thursday as residents prepared to weather the storm.
Taiwanese tech giant TSMC said it had “activated usual typhoon warning preparation procedures” at its chip manufacturing plants and did not expect a “significant impact” on its operations.
The streets of Taipei, battered by heavy rain and strong winds, are largely deserted. Until Friday, more than a meter of rain could fall in the most affected regions.
Forecasters have warned of “destructive” winds from Kong-rey, and around 35,000 soldiers are prepared to take part in relief operations.
As of Wednesday, dozens of ferry routes and domestic flights had been canceled and authorities had carried out evacuations in eight counties and cities, including Yilan, Hualien and Taitung.
Unusual tardiness
The storm is expected to weaken upon landfall and move toward the central mountains before crossing the Taiwan Strait, according to Chu Mei-lin of the Central Meteorological Administration, who said she expected to “severely” affect the island until Friday morning. tomorrow.
Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang expressed concern about the fate of two Czech tourists who were hiking in the Taroko Gorge near Hualien and could not be reached on their phones on Wednesday.
Taiwan is accustomed to tropical storms, frequent from July to October, but it is “unusual for such a powerful typhoon to hit the island at this time of year,” notes meteorologist Chang Chun-yao.
Climate change is increasing in intensity, with heavy downpours, flash floods and very strong gusts of wind, scientists say. Kong-rey will be the third typhoon to hit Taiwan since July.
Source: BFM TV
