Taiwan’s southern coast battered by powerful typhoon

Typhoon Koinu brought devastation to Taiwan’s southern tip early Thursday, producing a wind gust of 342.7km/h (212.9mph), the strongest ever recorded in the country. The Central Weather Administration reports that the gust destroyed the anemometer on Lanyu island, and it is the highest wind speed recorded in Taiwan since the organization was founded in 1986. This extraordinary gust appears to be the third-strongest recorded globally, with Western Australia’s Barrow Island holding the record at 408km/h in 1996, and the US’s Mount Washington in New Hampshire previously holding the record at 372km/h in 1934.

Koinu, meaning “puppy” in Japanese, made landfall on Taiwan’s Hengchun peninsula as a category four typhoon. Fire services reported 190 people were injured, mostly in west coast cities such as Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. Many of the injured fell while riding their scooters or were hit by falling branches, according to Chiayi’s emergency operation centre. Over 62,000 homes and businesses were left without power by midday Thursday.

The storm’s impact was further exacerbated by waves of up to seven metres, causing significant damage to houses and shopfronts along coastal areas. Videos online show the destruction, with one resident taking to social media to share an image of the devastation, remarking, “I saw ambulances and a hearse go by earlier. Possibly more damage to come.” The storm prompted authorities to close schools and offices across much of Taiwan, although the capital, Taipei, operated as normal. Ferries and domestic flights were suspended or cancelled.

Typhoon Koinu is the second typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan this year, following Haikui in September, which prompted landslides, mass evacuations, and dozens of injuries. Despite being located in an active tropical storm zone, no typhoon had directly hit Taiwan for four years prior to Koinu’s arrival.

As Taiwan begins the process of recovering from this devastating storm, attention turns to the category four cyclone’s surprising strength and the potential damage it may cause in the coming hours and days.