“Winds of destructive force”: meteorologists call for shelter
This Thursday, October 3, Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Kaohsiung in the south of the island of Taiwan. Power cuts, air traffic disruptions, accidents, disappearances…, violent winds are terrorizing the population.
Two days before the arrival of the tropical cyclone, the south of the island had already been ordered to take shelter. Winds of 126km/h, with gusts reaching 162km/h and torrential rain had been announced by meteorologists. The latter had warned inhabitants of the region by SMS: “There will be winds of destructive force in this area. Take shelter.”
The Central Meteorological Administration of Taiwan (CWA) has just declared that Typhoon Krathon had “made landfall near the Xiaogang district of Kaohsiung at around 12:40 today.” Two deaths, more than 100 injured and two missing have already been reported.
In Taiwan, tropical storms are frequent. However, and according to a recent study, the phenomenon forms more close to the coasts, intensifying quickly and lasting longer once the land is hit, due to global warming.
(MH with AsD - Source: Le Monde - Illustration: Unsplash)