Typhoon Krathon made landfall in the major port city of Kaohsiung on Thursday afternoon, bringing with it torrential rains and fierce winds to southern and southeastern parts of Taiwan, The Associated Press reports.
The typhoon, which packed maximum sustained winds of 78 mph near its center, made landfall in the industrial Siaogang District around 12:40 p.m., according to the Central Weather Administration.
The slow-moving typhoon, which has been inching towards Taiwan at a speed of about 2.5 mph for the past five days, has already drenched eastern and southern parts of the island, forcing thousands to evacuate from mountainous or low-lying areas. Schools and government offices have been shut around the island for two days, and all domestic flights have been canceled.
Residents awoke to mobile phone alerts urging them to take shelter from the potentially dangerous winds. The weather administration issued a Facebook message warning Kaohsiung and Pingtung County residents to stay indoors during the eye of the storm, emphasizing that the winds and storms will pick up again afterward.
Thousands were evacuated from areas vulnerable to mudslides and landslides, and almost 40,000 troops are on standby to assist with rescue efforts. Mountainous areas in the island’s south have seen up to 5.5 feet of rain over the past five days, with some eastern and southern parts of Taiwan expected to receive up to 1.3 feet of rain over the next 24 hours, according to China’s weather agency.
Typhoons rarely hit Taiwan’s west coast, typically affecting the mountainous, eastern side of the island. Kaohsiung officials, in urging residents to remain vigilant, recalled the devastation caused by Typhoon Thelma in 1977, which killed 37 people in the city.
Earlier this week, Typhoon Krathon lashed northern Philippine islands, resulting in four deaths and the displacement of at least 5,000 people.
Krathon is forecast to move slowly north and weaken into a tropical depression by Friday before reaching the capital, Taipei.
