Super Typhoon Kong-rey is expected to make landfall along Taiwan’s eastern coast on 31 October, bringing severe winds and heavy rain across the island.
According to Reuters, the typhoon, packing gusts close to 300 kph (186 mph), has intensified into a super typhoon and could grow even stronger before striking Taitung County, reports the U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA), which labeled Kong-rey a “strong typhoon”—the island’s highest storm category—expects it to sweep across southern Taiwan, cross the Taiwan Strait, and then head toward China.
Reuters reports that the CWA anticipates up to 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) of rainfall in Taiwan’s mountainous eastern regions, with destructive winds hitting coastal areas on Thursday. President Lai Ching-te has advised residents to avoid mountainous and coastal areas, cautioning that Kong-rey’s strength, unusual for this late in the season, may result in severe damage. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has also mobilized 36,000 troops in preparation, Reuters notes.
Heavy rains are also forecasted in northern regions, including the capital, Taipei, through Thursday, Reuters reports.
The storm has already affected transport: Taiwan’s Transport Ministry canceled at least 26 ferry trips on Wednesday, and UNI Air, the country’s largest domestic airline, suspended all Thursday flights.
