(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan’s authorities shuttered some schools and canceled domestic flights as Typhoon Krathon moves toward the island, while also bringing violent wind and rain to the northern Philippines.
The storm is currently 170 kilometers (105 miles) south of Taiwan, with sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour, according to the island’s Central Weather Administration, which warned it had room to strengthen over the next 48 hours. But the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in an advisory that Krathon will weaken slightly just before its expected landfall in Taiwan on Wednesday, then slow as it encounters rugged terrain.
The approaching storm has already triggered landslides in the east, disrupting train services and traffic. Dozens of ship crossings and flights had also been canceled as of Monday.
The system is expected to veer east after it hits Taiwan, and Japan’s weather officials said it will likely approach the southwestern islands of Okinawa prefecture mid-week, NHK reported Saturday.
Taiwan is no stranger to typhoons, though storms typically make landfall on the less populated east coast. Krathon, however, is also set to impact the west coast, with a direct hit to the port city of Kaohsiung on Wednesday, according to CWA. Kaohsiung is a major hub for heavy industry and manufacturing, home to more than 7,700 factories, including a chip factory being built by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.
CWA warned of extremely heavy rain in its eastern and southern parts of the island, while transport authorities have said ship crossings and domestic flights will be canceled. International flights remain unaffected.
While storms are common in this part of the Pacific Ocean at this time of year, global warming is increasing their intensity and testing countries’ readiness to deal with the damage wrought on their agriculture, infrastructure, and economy. Earlier this month, Super Typhoon Yagi left a trail of devastation across Vietnam and neighboring countries. And in July, Typhoon Gaemi struck both Taiwan and the Philippines.
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The Philippines weather agency has also said the system, known locally as Julian, could intensify to a super typhoon later on Monday, and has placed several islands on alert as the system grazes the northern parts of the archipelago. A super typhoon, with winds exceeding 185 km per hour, is roughly equivalent to a Category 3 major hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. For comparison, Hurricane Helene, which hit Florida last week was a Category 4 storm.
The weather agency isn’t ruling out the possibility of hoisting the highest wind alert as the typhoon continues to intensify. Rice and corn crops in the north may suffer severe losses, while banana and coconut plantations could see extensive damage, it said.
“The situation is potentially very destructive to the community,” the agency said on Monday.
--With assistance from Cecilia Yap.
(Updates throughout.)
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