Deadly Typhoon Kong-rey sets records in Taiwan
This picture provided by the Hualien County Fire Department via Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) on October 31, 2024 shows a firefighter beside a roof blown away due to strong winds and rain from Super Typhoon Kong-rey in Hualien County. Super Typhoon Kong-rey made landfall in Taiwan on October 31, the state weather forecaster said, as one of the most powerful storms to hit the island in years unleashed fierce winds and torrential rain. (Photo by STR/CNA/Hualien County Fire Department/AFP via Getty Images)
Typhoon Kong-rey was the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale Thursday as it made landfall near Chenggong, Taiwan, Thursday, local time. The observed maximum wind gust was around Hehuanshan at 156 mph (251 km/h). As it moved across Taiwan, it lost wind intensity and will continue to do so as it moves northward towards the Taiwan Strait.
According to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), rainfall amounts approached 4 feet as of Thursday evening, including 44.72 inches (1,136 mm) at Yilan and 43.58 inches (1,107.5 mm) at Hualien.
Kong-rey made landfall with 32-foot waves, according to the CWA. Falling trees killed one person. More than 200,000 customers were without power Thursday evening. All schools and government offices were closed. Most Halloween events were canceled.
A radar loop shows Typhoon Kong-Rey making landfall on Taiwan on Oct. 31, 2024. (CMA)
Due to the severe impacts of rain and wind, Kong-rey is a 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale in Taiwan.
Taiwan's third typhoon of the season, unusually large and late
Kong-rey was the third typhoon to hit Taiwan this year. It has been 16 years since the island has seen three typhoons come ashore in one season, the CWA said, adding that wind radius of the storm was the largest since 1996. Most recently, the deadly Super Typhoon Krathon hit Taiwan on Oct. 3.
Although typhoons can occur at any time of year, Kong-rey is unusually strong and late in the typhoon season for a Taiwan landfall. The previous latest typhoon on record was Typhoon Krosa, a Category 2 equivalent, which hit Taiwan on Oct. 6, 2007.
However, Taiwan has experienced severe effects from storms that came close to landfall during the last week of the month: Typhoon Xangsane on Oct. 31, 2000, and Typhoon Nock-Ten on Oct. 24, 2004.
The forecast for Kong-rey
Typhoon Kong-rey will continue to track northward through Friday morning, local time, then turn toward the northeast later Friday afternoon and Saturday, local time. It should become a tropical rainstorm by Saturday afternoon before losing full organization.
Heavy rain from Kong-rey will continue across the southern Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan into Friday, Nov. 1, before spreading across the northern Ryukyu Islands and southern Japan from Friday, Nov. 1, into early Sunday, Nov 3. Heavy rain is expected across the Fujian province to Anhui and Jiangsu provinces in eastern China later Thursday, Oct. 31, through Friday, Nov. 1.
AccuWeather Lead International Expert Jason Nicholls contributed to this report.
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