Kaohsiung, Taiwan — Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taiwan’s south on Thursday, the island’s weather agency said, after forcing schools and offices to shut for a second day amid winds and rain that have left two dead and more than 100 injured.
Krathon was packing sustained wind speeds of 126 kilometres (78 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 162 kph just before reaching the southern seaport city of Kaohsiung, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).
“Typhoon Krathon made landfall near Kaohsiung’s Xiaogang district at around 12:40 pm (0440 GMT),” it said in a post on messaging app Line.
While CWA chief Cheng Chia-ping said Wednesday that the typhoon was expected to weaken rapidly after landing, residents of Kaohsiung were urged to take shelter.
“There will be winds of destructive force caused by typhoon in this area. Take shelter ASAP,” the CWA said in a warning sent five times to residents’ mobile phones Thursday.
Kaohsiung’s mayor, Chen Chi-mai, told reporters the city was experiencing “the strongest winds” ahead of the typhoon’s landfall.
“We urge residents not to go out unless necessary,” he said. “So far, Kaohsiung has recorded 356 disaster cases, mostly falling trees and advertising signs.”
Torrential rain and powerful winds unleashed on the island have already left at least two people dead, two missing and 123 injured, said the National Fire Agency.
