Taiwan Prepares for Massive Typhoon Kong-rey Shutdown

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Taiwan has shut down in anticipation of the powerful Typhoon Kong-rey, with all cities and counties announcing a day off. Financial markets have been closed, and hundreds of flights cancelled due to the typhoon, expected to be the largest in size to hit the island in the past three decades.

Landfall and Storm Impact

According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, Kong-rey is projected to make landfall around 2pm on the eastern coast, bringing strong winds and torrential rain across the island. While the storm weakened slightly overnight, it remains a formidable threat, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane with gusts exceeding 250kph. The administration has labeled it a “strong typhoon,” the highest storm level in Taiwan’s classification, marking it as the most extensive typhoon to strike the island since 1996.

Warnings and Precautions

Warnings for damaging winds of over 160kph were issued in Taitung County, where outlying Lanyu Island recorded wind gusts above 260kph. The administration forecast up to 1.2m of rainfall in eastern Taiwan, urging residents to remain indoors and away from coastal and mountainous regions. The defence ministry has mobilized 36,000 troops for potential rescue efforts and preemptively evacuated 1,300 residents from high-risk zones.

Transportation and Economic Measures

Taiwan’s transport ministry reported that 298 international flights, all domestic flights, and 139 ferry services were cancelled. Although the high-speed railway remains operational, its services have been significantly reduced. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s leading contract chipmaker, has initiated emergency protocols and does not anticipate substantial disruptions to its operations.

China on Alert

After impacting Taiwan, Kong-rey is expected to brush China’s Fujian province by Friday morning. The government has reinforced its warnings for residents to avoid coastal and mountainous regions as the storm approaches.

Subtropical Taiwan is no stranger to typhoons, and earlier this month, Typhoon Krathon claimed four lives as it swept through the island’s south.