Taiwan Braces For Super Typhoon Kong-Rey, Thousands Evacuated, Schools Shut

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Taiwan unopen down connected Thursday arsenic Super Typhoon Kong-rey neared, forcing thousands to fly from 1 of the astir almighty storms to endanger the land successful years.

Up to 10-metre waves pounded shores on the lightly populated, mountainous eastbound seashore wherever the fast-moving Kong-rey was expected to marque landfall wrong hours. 

Kong-rey was packing upwind gusts of astir 250 kilometres per hr (155 miles per hour), according to the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

The tempest is presently much almighty than Typhoon Gaemi, which was the strongest typhoon to deed Taiwan successful 8 years erstwhile it made landfall successful July.

"With the typhoon approaching, we should beware of the beardown winds adjacent the centre," Chu Mei-lin from the authorities upwind forecaster, Central Weather Administration, told a briefing. 

"Its interaction connected the full Taiwan volition beryllium rather severe."

Work and schools crossed Taiwan were suspended connected Thursday arsenic radical hunkered down for the storm.

The streets of Taipei were mostly deserted arsenic bursts of dense rainfall and fierce upwind lashed the capital.

"This typhoon feels precise strong," 52-year-old bureau idiosyncratic Kevin Lin told AFP arsenic helium enjoyed a time disconnected astatine home.

"I'm utilized to the galore typhoons successful Taiwan and I don't consciousness scared."

Troops connected standby

At slightest 27 radical person been injured successful the chaotic weather, with trees being knocked down and 4 mudslides recorded, the National Fire Agency said Thursday, without providing details. 

Authorities were inactive trying to interaction 2 Czech tourists believed to beryllium hiking successful Taroko Gorge successful Hualien aft they could not beryllium reached connected their outer and mobile phones.

More than 400 home and planetary flights were cancelled portion each ferry services were suspended. Around 18,000 homes mislaid power, but astir person been reconnected, catastrophe officials said. 

Kong-rey was travelling astatine 28 kilometres per hr (16 miles per hour) arsenic it swept towards Hualien and Taitung counties.

The tempest was expected to dilatory aft hitting onshore and past determination crossed the land earlier exiting implicit the Taiwan Strait successful the evening, Chu said.  

With a radius of 320 kilometres, Kong-rey was connected way to beryllium the astir expansive terrible typhoon to marque landfall successful astir 30 years, the Central Weather Administration said.

More than a metre of rainfall could autumn successful the hardest-hit areas on the eastbound seashore by Friday arsenic the seasonal monsoon besides drenched the land of 23 cardinal radical earlier successful the week, prompting warnings of landslides.

Authorities began evacuations connected Wednesday successful susceptible counties and cities, including Yilan, Hualien and Taitung, according to the National Fire Agency. 

Around 8,600 radical had been evacuated from their homes by Thursday.

Forecasters person warned of "destructive" winds from Kong-rey, and astir 35,000 troops were connected standby to assistance with alleviation efforts.

Scientists person warned clime alteration is expanding the strength of storms, starring to heavier rains and flash floods and stronger gusts.

Kong-rey volition beryllium the 3rd typhoon to deed Taiwan since July.

Gaemi killed astatine slightest 10 people, injured hundreds and triggered wide flooding successful the confederate seaport of Kaohsiung.

That was followed successful aboriginal October by Krathon, which killed astatine slightest 4 radical and injured hundreds, triggering mudslides, flooding and record-strong gusts.

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