The Prague Post - Thousands evacuated as Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan

EUR -
AED 4.18829
AFN 79.786672
ALL 98.228214
AMD 437.536589
ANG 2.041031
AOA 1045.788824
ARS 1346.278084
AUD 1.755342
AWG 2.046293
AZN 1.943285
BAM 1.955964
BBD 2.306593
BDT 139.611675
BGN 1.955964
BHD 0.430736
BIF 3400.884402
BMD 1.140445
BND 1.469323
BOB 7.89366
BRL 6.340197
BSD 1.142396
BTN 97.81318
BWP 15.283278
BYN 3.738513
BYR 22352.729264
BZD 2.294692
CAD 1.561897
CDF 3284.48308
CHF 0.937613
CLF 0.027773
CLP 1062.428846
CNY 8.199175
CNH 8.198291
COP 4698.19289
CRC 582.348699
CUC 1.140445
CUP 30.221802
CVE 110.274222
CZK 24.805136
DJF 203.427012
DKK 7.463474
DOP 67.435639
DZD 150.181759
EGP 56.373714
ERN 17.106681
ETB 155.989545
FJD 2.566919
FKP 0.842834
GBP 0.843026
GEL 3.113861
GGP 0.842834
GHS 11.708979
GIP 0.842834
GMD 80.972027
GNF 9901.828048
GTQ 8.778734
GYD 239.360017
HKD 8.94543
HNL 29.790491
HRK 7.539717
HTG 149.802527
HUF 403.934788
IDR 18607.905823
ILS 3.994256
IMP 0.842834
INR 97.833681
IQD 1496.525148
IRR 48027.010022
ISK 144.118521
JEP 0.842834
JMD 182.445257
JOD 0.808621
JPY 165.222068
KES 147.652348
KGS 99.732386
KHR 4583.383289
KMF 492.106504
KPW 1026.485806
KRW 1551.211421
KWD 0.349
KYD 0.95198
KZT 582.628723
LAK 24663.062467
LBP 102356.359628
LKR 341.748579
LRD 227.899058
LSL 20.283196
LTL 3.367439
LVL 0.689844
LYD 6.22052
MAD 10.454674
MDL 19.688646
MGA 5153.43096
MKD 61.540146
MMK 2394.38643
MNT 4079.124485
MOP 9.232272
MRU 45.363794
MUR 52.016145
MVR 17.568605
MWK 1980.865651
MXN 21.793117
MYR 4.821237
MZN 72.943316
NAD 20.283196
NGN 1778.045998
NIO 42.043516
NOK 11.534241
NPR 156.501088
NZD 1.896633
OMR 0.438506
PAB 1.142396
PEN 4.141646
PGK 4.695393
PHP 63.764016
PKR 322.205645
PLN 4.287859
PYG 9119.762647
QAR 4.166148
RON 5.047958
RSD 117.179799
RUB 89.590292
RWF 1616.935217
SAR 4.284458
SBD 9.519743
SCR 16.762202
SDG 684.841637
SEK 10.99903
SGD 1.46867
SHP 0.896211
SLE 25.717466
SLL 23914.569443
SOS 652.854595
SRD 42.130376
STD 23604.916622
SVC 9.995836
SYP 14827.902431
SZL 20.276696
THB 37.37814
TJS 11.293744
TMT 3.991559
TND 3.388083
TOP 2.671042
TRY 44.726561
TTD 7.730646
TWD 34.136614
TZS 3035.853876
UAH 47.308456
UGX 4135.345821
USD 1.140445
UYU 47.47397
UZS 14596.22062
VES 112.208523
VND 29713.163686
VUV 137.255383
WST 3.133948
XAF 656.011859
XAG 0.031697
XAU 0.000344
XCD 3.082111
XDR 0.815868
XOF 656.011859
XPF 119.331742
YER 277.527795
ZAR 20.280021
ZMK 10265.38096
ZMW 28.302367
ZWL 367.222944
  • CMSC

    -0.0700

    22.17

    -0.32%

  • CMSD

    -0.0510

    22.184

    -0.23%

  • BCC

    -0.7100

    86.8

    -0.82%

  • SCS

    -0.0250

    10.35

    -0.24%

  • BTI

    0.3200

    47.79

    +0.67%

  • RBGPF

    1.0800

    69.04

    +1.56%

  • BCE

    -0.0850

    21.78

    -0.39%

  • NGG

    -0.3000

    70.7

    -0.42%

  • RIO

    -0.2000

    59.03

    -0.34%

  • GSK

    0.0550

    41.2

    +0.13%

  • JRI

    0.1100

    13.08

    +0.84%

  • BP

    0.2250

    29.29

    +0.77%

  • AZN

    0.5300

    72.88

    +0.73%

  • VOD

    -0.0170

    9.94

    -0.17%

  • RYCEF

    0.1300

    12

    +1.08%

  • RELX

    -0.0900

    53.68

    -0.17%

Thousands evacuated as Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan
Thousands evacuated as Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan / Photo: WALID BERRAZEG - AFP

Thousands evacuated as Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan

Taiwan closed schools and evacuated thousands of people in the south of the island Tuesday ahead of the arrival of Super Typhoon Krathon as the president warned it was likely cause "catastrophic damage".

Text size:

Krathon, packing sustained winds of 198 kilometres per hour (123 miles per hour) -- equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane -- and gusts of up to 245 kph was expected to make landfall Tuesday near the major port city of Kaohsiung.

Offices and schools were closed across southern and eastern Taiwan and the interior ministry said more than 7,700 people had been evacuated from vulnerable areas as a precaution.

President Lai Ching-te warned Krathon could "inevitably cause catastrophic damage".

"The path of Krathon is relatively rare, entering from the south and exiting from the east. Therefore we must be particularly vigilant," he said at a government briefing.

Nearly 40,000 troops were on standby for relief missions, the defence ministry said.

Dozens of international and domestic flights have been cancelled.

In southern Kaohsiung where the typhoon was forecast to make landfall, residents filled sand bags and erected barriers around their homes for flood protection and taped windows.

Coast guard officers patrolling the nearby popular tourist beauty spot of Sizihwan Bay told people to stay away as powerful waves pounded the coast.

Retiree Ou Rui-yao, who was birdwatching in the area, said he had made preparations at home such as putting up flood barriers.

"We need to be very careful as this typhoon must be very strong," said Ou, 82. "Since the tide is high, we have put up water barriers," he said.

"For the whole of Taiwan, we can't underestimate this typhoon."

- Storm pounds remote islands -

The typhoon was around 230 kilometres south-southwest of Kaohsiung at 11:00 am (0300 GMT), the Central Weather Administration said.

The storm was approaching Taiwan after pounding a remote group of Philippine islands, where it cut power and communications and damaged "many" houses, according to the local mayor.

The Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Tuesday nearly 1,800 people had been evacuated, around half in the Batanes islands near southern Taiwan.

Taiwan's coast guard said a Barbadian ship, "Blue Lagoon," at sea off the southeast city of Taitung was taking on water and tilting over due to the storm, with its 19 crew waiting to be airlifted to safety when conditions permitted.

Across Taiwan, 15 typhoon-related minor injuries were reported as of Tuesday, authorities said without providing details.

In Taitung, where the typhoon has brought heavy rains and waves of up to seven metres (23 feet), a man was sent to hospital after his truck was hit by a huge falling rock as he was driving along a mountainous route, local media said.

Typhoons are common around the region at this time of year.

However, a recent study showed that they are increasingly forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change.

B.Barton--TPP