Taiwan suspends classes and work as Super Typhoon Kong-rey approaches
Taiwan has suspended work and classes on certain outlying islands as authorities warn that approaching Super Typhoon Kong-rey could cause landslides
Strong winds and heavy rains were expected to pound swathes of the island of 23 million people ahead of Kong-rey making landfall in the southeast on Thursday afternoon, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.Kong-rey was packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 240 kilometres (150 miles) per hour as it neared Taiwan, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest update.
Fishers wearing raincoats tied down their boats in the harbour of Yilan county, southeast of Taipei, as rain fell.
Kong-rey was expected to dump the heaviest rain over Taiwan's eastern and northern coastal areas and the mountains in central and southern regions, said state forecaster the Central Weather Administration.
Classes and work were suspended on the two main islands of Taitung county, where the typhoon looks set to make a direct hit based on the storm's current trajectory.
Ferry services between Taiwan's outlying island of Kinmen and the Chinese port city of Xiamen were also halted.
Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October, but Chang said it was unusual for such a powerful typhoon to hit the island this late in the year.
In July, Gaemi became the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in eight years, killing at least 10 people, injuring hundreds and triggering widespread flooding in the southern seaport city of Kaohsiung.
That was followed in early October by Krathon, which killed at least four people and injured hundreds, as well as triggering mudslides, flooding and record-strong gusts.
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