Typhoon Krathon hit southwestern Taiwan on Thursday, leaving two dead, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes, and flooding streets across the island. The storm, which initially reached Category 4 strength, weakened before making landfall near Kaohsiung, a major port city, but still caused widespread disruption.
Labelled a “weird” storm by local media, Krathon moved unusually slowly, lingering near the coast and making landfall on Taiwan’s western side, which is typically less affected by typhoons. Schools, offices, and shops were closed, and flights were grounded for a second day as the storm approached around noon local time (4am GMT).
The typhoon shut down Taiwan’s stock exchange for two consecutive days and disrupted travel across the island. All domestic flights and 242 international flights were cancelled, while high-speed rail services between central and southern regions were suspended until later in the evening.
