Taiwan is bracing for Typhoon Krathon, which is forecast to pack winds of over 220 kilometers an hour and douse the country with torrential rain. It's also predicted to make a rare direct hit on the western coast, where 90 percent of Taiwan's population lives.
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00:00Taiwan is bracing for a typhoon, one that's forecast to make a rare direct hit on the
00:05west coast, where about 90 percent of the country's population lives.
00:09Winds are expected to be over 220 kilometers an hour, and officials are already warning
00:14people to be vigilant.
00:15Now our reporter Joyce Sun is live in Taipei with more details.
00:18Joyce, what's the latest?
00:21That's right, Eric.
00:22A land warning has been issued in anticipation of Typhoon Kraton making landfall, and as
00:28you mentioned, it's expected to impact Taiwan's densely populated western coast, which is
00:34unusual.
00:35The country is no stranger to typhoons, but they usually affect the mountain areas in
00:41the east, where much fewer people live.
00:44The latest typhoon to hit, Typhoon Kemi, in July, packed sustained winds, peaking at 230
00:52kilometers per hour, and killed at least 11 people.
00:56Officials this time warning people to stay particularly vigilant, as winds are expected
01:01to be just as strong.
01:03At the moment, it's just been occasional drizzles here in the capital, which is not directly
01:08in the path of the storm.
01:10Further south, preparations are underway to bear the brunt of it.
01:17Bracing for Typhoon Kraton, with potential winds of over 220 kilometers per hour, it's
01:23expected to hit this major port city, Kaohsiung, in less than 48 hours.
01:29From here, it will continue moving in a northwest direction, likely to bring torrential rains
01:35across Taiwan's densely populated west coast.
01:38A land warning has been raised across much of southern Taiwan, to alert of possible threats
01:44to people's lives and property.
01:46This follows a sea warning issued for the waters off the southern coast.
01:52Some transport links already planning to suspend services during the typhoon's arrival.
02:09Meanwhile, residents here are stocking up on food supplies ahead of the storm.
02:14They were met with high prices amid the buying frenzy.
02:22The typhoon is forecast to be a Category 4 storm, and preparations are underway across
02:28the nation to mitigate as much damage as possible.
02:33Authorities have said that over 2,200 soldiers and 1,000 rubber boats are on standby across
02:40Taiwan to help people evacuate amid what's expected to be several feet of rain in the
02:45coming days.