Typhoon hits, Taiwan urgently suspends work and classes

The strong typhoon "Kong-rey" (translated as "Kang Rui" in Taiwan) is approaching Taiwan, becoming the largest storm to affect Taiwan in the past 30 years. On October 31 (Thursday), the Taiwanese government announced that all work and classes in Taiwan would be suspended, financial markets would stop trading, and air and rail transportation would be suspended on a large scale. In response to the upcoming fierce storm, people were urged to stay at home for safety.

Weather forecasts show that "Kong-rey" is expected to land on the east coast of Taiwan at around 2 pm on Thursday, and the storm circle will cover the entire island of Taiwan. The streets of Taipei are empty, and strong winds and rainstorms are invading the city, indicating the powerful destructive power of the typhoon.

Disasters in various places are beginning to emerge, and thousands of people are evacuated urgently

Taiwan's Central Disaster Response Center reported that as of 7 am on Thursday, "Kong-rey" had caused 27 injuries, and more than 118 disasters such as fallen trees and falling signs had occurred. In addition, 4,416 households were without power, and the power supply company is currently stepping up repair work.

To ensure the safety of the people, the Taiwanese government has evacuated 8,600 people from high-risk areas in nine counties and cities. At the same time, two tourists from the Czech Republic entered Taroko National Park before the typhoon and have not been contacted so far. Relevant departments are actively searching for their whereabouts.

The typhoon is powerful and has a wide range of impacts

According to the Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) website, "Connie" once reached the level of a super typhoon. Even if it weakened slightly at night, it still maintained the wind force of a Category 4 hurricane. The maximum wind speed exceeded 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour), which was extremely destructive. The Taiwan Meteorological Department classified "Connie" as the highest level of severe typhoons, with a storm radius of 320 kilometers, making it the strongest typhoon to land in Taiwan since 1996.

Huang Enhong, a forecaster at the Taiwan Meteorological Bureau, reminded the public: "The typhoon has a wide impact area and the wind is extremely strong. It is recommended that everyone stay at home as much as possible to avoid danger." He explained that the typhoon will cross the Central Mountain Range after landing in eastern Taiwan and move towards the Taiwan Strait. The wind intensity is expected to weaken, but it will still be extremely destructive.

Strong wind and rainfall warnings are issued in various places, and coastal areas are strictly guarded against destructive waves

The eastern region of Taiwan, especially Taitung County, has issued a strong wind warning of more than 160 kilometers per hour, and the outlying island of Lanyu in the east has recorded strong winds of 260 kilometers per hour. The meteorological department predicts that the rainfall in the eastern region may be as high as 1,200 mm, and the coastal areas will face destructive winds and waves. The government has called on residents to stay away from mountainous areas and coasts to avoid secondary disasters caused by mountain torrents and waves.

Comprehensive emergency response by the military, transportation and enterprises

In response to the disasters caused by the typhoon, the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense has mobilized 36,000 soldiers to be on standby at any time to assist in disaster prevention and rescue work. Various disaster prevention equipment has been fully prepared in place to minimize the losses caused by the disaster. In terms of transportation, the Taiwan authorities announced the cancellation of 298 international flights, and all domestic flights and ferries to and from the outlying islands were also suspended. Although the high-speed rail service is still in operation, the frequency has been reduced, and the railway has been completely suspended. The local trains on some sections are temporarily arranged to run in the morning to meet the urgent travel needs of the people.

At the same time, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a leading global semiconductor manufacturer, has launched emergency response measures in its major factories. The company said that despite the fierce typhoon, it is not expected to have a significant impact on its production operations.

Post-typhoon movement and future weather warnings

According to the forecast, "Connie" will gradually approach the coastal areas of Fujian in the early morning of November 1 (Friday), and then move northeast along the coastal waters of Fujian and Zhejiang. The Taiwan Meteorological Department reminded the public that although the wind will weaken after the typhoon passes, the remaining wind and rain will still have an impact, especially the coastal areas still need to remain vigilant.

Taiwan is in a subtropical area with a high incidence of typhoons all year round, and typhoons are no strangers to the people on the island. However, the frequent typhoons this year have brought considerable challenges to the local area. "Connie" is the third typhoon to hit Taiwan since July. The previous typhoon "Shandonger" hit southern Taiwan hard, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of four people.