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Intensifying Typhoon Krathon projection to strike Taiwan's populated west coast

Taiwan provided a land caution on Monday ahead of the arrival of Tropical storm Krathon, which is anticipated to intensify and cross the island's largely inhabited west coast bringing downpour and strong winds.

Taiwan frequently gets hit by tropical storms but they generally land along the mountainous and sparsely inhabited east coast facing the Pacific.

Krathon, categorised as a medium strength hurricane, is forecast to strike the significant port city of Kaohsiung early on Wednesday, then work its method throughout the centre of Taiwan heading northeast and cross out into the East China Sea, the Central Weather Condition Administration (CWA) said.

The hurricane is expected to further heighten into the equivalent of a Category 4 typhoon, loading effective winds of more than 220 kph (125 mph) near its centre, according to Hurricane Threat.

The impact is getting bigger and larger, stated Gene Huang, forecaster at the CWA, pointing to dangers to Taiwan's southwest and adding it was unusual for such an effective typhoon to make a. direct hit to the island's western plains.

Huang alerted locals there to be gotten ready for extreme. winds of more than 150 kmh (93 miles per hour).

Taiwan authorities stated more than 1,000 rubber boats and. 2,200 soldiers were on standby across Taiwan, including on the. eastern coast where up to 1.3 metres (4 feet) of rain was. anticipated in the coming days.

Boats to Taiwan's distant islands have already been. cancelled and some domestic flights have been interrupted.

The rail line connecting southern Taiwan to the east coast. stopped running mid-afternoon Monday, though other services. including the north-south high speed train were operating as. regular, the transport ministry said.

It included that global flights were not yet impacted.

In July, Tropical cyclone Gaemi killed a minimum of 11 people in Taiwan.

(source: Reuters)