6 months ago
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A powerful typhoon has lashed the Philippines and is now churning towards Taiwan, prompting warnings and flight cancellations.
Krathon has been upgraded to a strong typhoon, with sustained winds reaching up to 175 kmph (109 mph) and gusts as high as 215 kmph (133 mph).
The slow-moving storm was blowing westward and could strengthen into a super typhoon when it veers northeastward on Tuesday towards Taiwan.
Taiwan issued a land warning this morning as forecasters warned the storm is expected to cross the island’s densely populated west coast, including the major port city of Kaohsiung, bringing torrential rain and strong winds.
“The impact is getting bigger and bigger,” said Gene Huang, forecaster at the CWA, pointing to threats to Taiwan’s southwest and adding it was “rare” for such a powerful typhoon to make a direct hit on the island’s western plains.
The storm has already lashed the northernmost islands of the Philippines, prompting officials to evacuate hundreds of villagers, shut down schools and inter-island ferries and warn of “potentially very destructive” rainfall in the region.
07:48 , Stuti Mishra
Welcome to The Independent’s liveblog on Typhoon Krathon. Follow for the latest updates from the Philippines and Tawain.
