Super Typhoon Kong-Re is approaching Taiwan. The cyclone can hit at a speed of 240 kilometers per hour. The cyclone, which became a super typhoon on Wednesday, is expected to make landfall today.
According to meteorologists, Super Typhoon Kong-rae is expected to be the strongest storm to hit the island by the end of the year.
According to the report, Kong-Re has achieved destructive power equivalent to a category-4 hurricane. The super typhoon is expected to hit Taitung, a sparsely populated county on Taiwan's southeast coast, on Thursday.
"The typhoon is coming fiercely," Taiwanese Prime Minister Cho Jong-tai said during a visit to the island's Central Meteorological Administration on Tuesday. He warned that heavy rains from Kong-re could cause landslides and road closures in eastern Taiwan.
Chu Mei-lin, a meteorologist with the Taiwan Meteorological Agency, said at a press conference Wednesday morning that storm surges are likely to develop over most of Taiwan by late night as the typhoon moves northwestward. The Central Meteorological Administration (CWA) issued a sea warning on Tuesday as the storm approached. As of Wednesday afternoon, the agency had issued warnings for more than 50 percent of the island's counties.
He said the forecast showed the powerful storm could weaken a bit before making landfall directly on the southeast coast, but it could still bring heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides. We have requested everyone to make proper preparations. He warned that waves could reach 8 meters when the typhoon makes landfall.
According to the news agency AFP, super typhoon Kong-rae may hit Taiwan by Thursday afternoon. Because of this, the country's authorities have issued warnings to the residents of the remote islands to suspend professional and educational activities. Besides, the fishermen with the boats have already moved to a safe place.
