Typhoon Krathon forecast to make landfall with gusts of up to 219 kph

Taipei, Oct. 1 (CNA) The approaching Typhoon Krathon is forecast to bring strong winds to Taiwan, with gusts of up to 219 kilometers per hour (kph), when it makes landfall in the southeast of the country Wednesday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Speaking with reporters, CWB forecaster Lin Ping-yu (林秉煜) said Tuesday although the storm will lose some strength, gusts could still range from 185-219 kph when the eye reaches Taiwan Wednesday evening or night, a speed that equates to the 16th and 17th levels on the Beaufort wind force scale the agency uses to measure wind strength.

At 10 p.m. Tuesday, Typhoon Krathon was located 180 kilometers to the southwest of Kaohsiung and moving northeast at a speed of 6-10 kph, CWA data showed.

With a radius of 220 km, the storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 198 kph, with gusts of up to 245 kph, the CWA said.

According to the CWA, Typhoon Koinu which hit Taiwan on Oct. 4, 2023, brought gusts of around 342 kph recorded at 9:52 p.m. that day, the highest level since Taiwan started keeping wind speeds records in 1897.

Typhoon Koinu caused the death of one person and injured 399 others in Taiwan, causing approximately NT$344.56 million (US$10.82 million) in agricultural losses.

Over the next 24 hours, Typhoon Krathon is likely to weaken with its maximum sustained speed expected to fall to the 14th level on the wind scale, meaning a speed of 150-166 kph, Lin said.

It is therefore unlikely Krathon will bring gusts of wind as strong as Koinu, but the speed of the approaching storm is still significant as wind speeds from the 10th level and higher on the Beaufort wind force scale remain very strong and potentially dangerous, Lin added.

According to the wind force scale, the 10th level of winds refers to a speed of 88-103 kph.

On Monday, the CWA issued a land warning for Krathon after a sea warning was announced a day earlier.

Around Monday noon, the outer rim of the storm reached Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula, and continued moving northward.

Starting from Wednesday afternoon, the strength of winds and rain caused by Krathon is expected to increase, Lin said, adding that he expects the storm to stay over Taiwan for 24 hours following landfall.

The typhoon is forecast to leave Taiwan on Thursday from the eastern part of the island, Lin said.

Due to the storm, temperature highs in northern Taiwan are expected to drop to 28 degrees Celsius on Wednesday before falling further to 26 degrees on Thursday in the wake of a seasonal wind system, Lin said, adding that the cool weather will continue into Friday.