Taiwan shut down on Wednesday (October 2) with hundreds of flights grounded and offices, schools and financial markets closed ahead of the arrival of a weakening Typhoon Krathon, which is forecast to bring storm surges along the coast and torrential rain. The government in the key port city of Kaohsiung, right on the path of the eye of the storm, told people to stay at home and away from the sea, rivers and mountains, warning of a repeat of 1977’s Typhoon Thelma which killed 37 people and devastated the city of 2.7 million.
Taiwan regularly gets hit by typhoons but they generally land along the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific, but Krathon will make landfall on the island’s flat western plain. It is forecast to hit between Kaohsiung and its neighbouring city of Tainan in the early hours of Thursday, then work its way up the west coast towards the capital Taipei, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. All cities and counties in Taiwan declared a day off on Wednesday, shutting financial markets.
Domestic flights have been cancelled for the day, along with 246 international ones. The north-south high speed rail line remained open, but with a reduced number of operations. The typhoon has weakened, but the threat from a storm surge and strong winds and rain remains as it slowly makes its way towards Taiwan’s coast, the weather administration said.
”Because of Typhoon Gaemi being quite severe earlier this year, everyone is more cautio.
