By Typhoon Koinu slammed into southern Taiwan, resulting in one fatality and injuries to hundreds, along with localized damages. This powerful Category 4 typhoon made landfall on Taiwan’s Hengchun peninsula, causing flight cancellations and the shutdown of work and schools for millions of residents.
During the typhoon, flying glass claimed the life of an individual in Taichung, a central city in Taiwan, as reported by the local fire department. Strong winds caused damage to buildings and trees, with images shared on social media showing vehicles thrown off roads and fishing boats sunk in harbours on Orchid Island off the southeast coast.
An island weather tracking station documented the strongest wind in Taiwan in 126 years as the typhoon struck on Wednesday evening. This island, housing 5,000 people, experienced the brunt of the storm.
The adverse weather led to the cancellation of 46 international flights and halting of ferries to outlying islands, while Taiwan’s main domestic airlines also suspended the majority of Thursday’s flights. However, high-speed rail operations between northern and southern Taiwan continued as usual.
The typhoon significantly impacted the southern port city of Kaohsiung, whereas the capital city Taipei, housing financial markets, was marked safe and continued normal operations.
The heaviest rainfall was recorded in the mountainous and sparsely populated regions of Pingtung county in the south, as well as the east coast counties of Taitung and Hualien. Further substantial rain was forecasted into Friday, primarily affecting the south and east of the island.
Known as “puppy” typhoon in Japanese, Koinu weakened as it passed near the Taiwan Strait and is now on a trajectory towards China’s Guangdong province, as per the Tropical Storm Risk tracker.
Taiwan has faced a series of typhoons in recent months, including Typhoon Haiku last month, which made landfall in eastern Taiwan and necessitated the evacuation of 4,000 people from high-risk areas. In August, Typhoon Doksuri hit Taiwan, leading to school, work, and flight suspensions in the southern part of the island.
