TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA saidStaff

Writer, with CNA

Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon.

As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point.

It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed.

Typhoon Krathon near Taiwan yesterday is depicted in a weather graphic.

Photo: Screen grab from the Central Weather Administration’s Web site

Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said.

The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, Wu said.

Southern Taiwan would be more heavily affected by the storm if the northward turn takes place later than forecast, she said.

Krathon was still expanding and is expected to further strengthen after being upgraded to a typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said.

Wu said a land warning could be issued between late last night and early today, and the storm’s periphery would likely reach Taiwan this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Central Emergency Operation Center urged people to avoid visits to the seaside and mountainous areas.

City and county governments need to prepare for potential floods and restrict or ban access to mountains and coastal areas, which would be enforced by the police and the Coast Guard Administration, the center said.

Kaohsiung’s Water Resources Bureau said that its 25 detention basins, which can hold a combined 4.98 million cubic meters of stormwater, have been emptied.

The city was hit hard by floods in late July due to heavy rainfall brought by Typhoon Gaemi.

The center was opened in response to Krathon after the CWA issued a sea warning for ships operating in the Bashi Channel at 8:30am yesterday, as the storm was forecast to move toward waters off southern Taiwan in the following 24 hours.

Restricted areas in Yushan National Park and Shei-Pa National Park have been closed due to the sea warning, and entry permits issued for dates before the reopening would be invalid, the parks said.

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency announced the closure of ticketed national forest recreation areas in several counties until Wednesday.

Ferry services between Keelung and Matsu, Tainan and Dongji Islet (東吉嶼), and ports in Taitung, Pingtung, Green Island (綠島) and Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) were suspended yesterday, the Maritime and Port Bureau said.

Ferry operators in Pingtung also announced the cancelation of services to and from Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球) tomorrow and Wednesday, when Taiwan is forecast to be most affected by the storm.