Taiwan warns of “rapid” intensification of Typhoon Kong-rey

TAIPEI: Authorities in southeastern Taiwan grounded some ferries on Tuesday (October 29) and advised fishermen to return to land as the island's weather forecast warned that approaching Typhoon Kong-rey would “rapidly” strengthen.

With maximum winds of 95 mph, the storm could make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday, the Central Weather Administration said.

“It is rapidly intensifying now,” Lin Po-tung of the weather agency said at a news conference.

Lin warned that waves could reach heights of 5 to 6 meters on Wednesday and that heavy rain was also forecast in the capital Taipei.

Disaster management officials in Taitung county, which was expected to bear the brunt of Kong-rey based on the storm's current path, advised fishermen to return to land and secure their boats while ferry service to offshore islands was suspended.

“The main impact on Taitung will be damage caused by strong winds,” the local fire department said.

Further north, in the coastal city of Hualien, which was hit by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake in April, authorities were preparing relief supplies for those in need and providing vehicles to evacuate people.

Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October, but scientists have warned that climate change is increasing their intensity, leading to heavy rains, flash floods and strong squalls.

In July, Gaemi was the strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in eight years. At least ten people died, hundreds were injured and there was widespread flooding in the southern port city of Kaohsiung.

Krathon followed in early October, killing at least four people and injuring hundreds while also triggering mudslides, flooding and record-breaking winds.

To prevent a repeat of the floods, “increased efforts have been made to remove sediment from rivers and wider areas,” said Yi-fung Wang, spokesman for the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Water Resources Authority.