Over a hundred flights were canceled. A typhoon is approaching the coast
A devastating typhoon is coming. The main impact will occur on Thursday morning, but the element has already caused the cancellation of many flights and the closure of institutions in the country.
Typhoon Koinu is approaching the southern part of Taiwan. Tomorrow the cyclone will reach the coast near the fishing town of Taitung. Due to the activity of the unpredictable element, 87 domestic flights and 25 international flights were canceled.
Further flights have been cancelled
Typhoon Koinu is gaining strength and is approaching land. The heaviest rainfall will fall in mountainous Pingtung County in the south and Taitung and Hualien counties on the east coast. The cyclone will also affect the main port city of Kaohsiung. After passing through Taiwan, the typhoon will head towards China’s southern provinces and then to Hong Kong, where it will likely weaken completely and develop into a tropical storm.
Due to Koin’s activity, many domestic and foreign flights of the main Taiwanese carrier were canceled – a total of 102 planned connections. Some ferry crossings have also been suspended. The Maritime and Port Office reported that a total of 96 ferry sailings on 12 routes were canceled. In the cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan, classes were canceled for the next two days. In the capital Taipei, which is hit by heavy rains, school lessons should continue without disruption.
Koinu will strike on Thursday morning
“Koinu formed over the Pacific Ocean last weekend and was located about 175 km east of Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon,” says the island’s Central Meteorological Administration. The tropical cyclone moves at a speed of about 15 km per hour, and the winds above 200 km/h that it carries are comparable to the strength of a category four hurricane. Koinu will hit the southeastern coast of Taiwan, near the city of Taitung, as a Category 3 typhoon on Thursday morning.
“We are afraid that the rain and wind will be very strong when the typhoon makes landfall, so we will strengthen preventive measures on our part. We hope that local residents will remain vigilant and cautious,” Chen Chia-chen of Taiwan’s ocean department said in Taitung.
Typhoons and hurricanes are tropical cyclones with winds of at least 70 miles per hour. The term “hurricane” refers to tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin and “typhoon” to those that form in the Pacific and head towards Asia.
