TAIWAN: Typhoon Khanun, the second-strongest typhoon level in Taiwan, moved slowly towards the northeastern shore of the island, causing businesses and schools to close. With gusts of 198 km/h, it was rated as the second-strongest typhoon level. The typhoon’s eye was 360 km off Taipei in the East China Sea, moving westerly at about 3 km/h.
The storm is expected to pass near Taiwan’s northern shore late Thursday and turn northeast on Friday. It is predicted to reach 0.6 meters of rainfall in Taiwan’s mountainous central region, with mountains close to Taipei receiving 0.3 meters. Businesses and schools in northern cities, including Taipei, are closed, and foreign currency and stock markets are shut down.
Domestic ferry routes are suspended, and around 110 international flights have been cancelled. Taipei’s underground service is cut back, and hundreds of soldiers are waiting to deploy to nearby cities in case of a calamity.
A man was killed, and more than 200,000 homes lost electricity after the storm struck power lines in Okinawa, a famous tourist destination in Japan, earlier this week. One week has passed since Typhoon Doksuri battered the southern part of Taiwan with torrential rain and powerful winds. Now comes Typhoon Khanun.
About 166,000 homes in Okinawa and Kagoshima in southern Japan were without electricity on Thursday morning due to Typhoon Khanun. The storm, moving northwest with gusts of 222 kph, was expected to shift course eastward toward Japan’s mainland by Tuesday. The exact course of the storm remains unknown.
Two fatalities were reported in Okinawa. 41 injuries were reported in the prefectures of Okinawa and Kagoshima. Naha Airport, the main entryway to Okinawa, resumed operations after two days of closure, but 304 flights were cancelled.
Okinawa Electric Power Co reported 160,040 households experiencing power outages. Typhoon Khanun closed schools and businesses in northern Taiwan, and over 40 international flights were cancelled.
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