Typhoon Koinu: 1 Dead, Over 300 Injured As Koinu Pounds Taiwan With Heavy Rains

At least one individual was killed and more than 300 others were wounded after Typhoon Koinu pounded Taiwan with massive rains.

The bad weather in Taiwan prompted the closure of schools and other establishments to ensure the safety of residents. Powerful winds also uprooted trees and brought floods.

Authorities said that the fatality was killed by a flying glass in the central city of Taichung and at least 304 individuals were injured around the island.

Gusts of wind uprooted some trees and caused damage to the establishments and buildings.

Forecast track

The Central Weather Administration said that Koinu was spotted 060000Z at 21.8N 117.8E. Weather experts said that its movement was W 10km/hr, having a minimum pressure of 970 hpa.

Koinu is packing maximum sustained winds near center 33 meter per second and gusts that is 43 meter per second.

It has an average radius of over 15m/s winds 150km(160km NW quad. , 160km NE quad. , 130km SW quad. , 130km SE quad. ) and average radius of over 25m/s winds 50km(60km NW quad. , 60km NE quad. , 40km SW quad. , 40km SE quad. ).

Authorities raised heavy rain or extremely heavy rain advisory in Hengchun Peninsula, Taitung County; while heavy rain advisory has also been in effect over Keelung North Coast, Pingtung County, Yilan County, Hualien County, Lanyu and Ludao Islands.

Koinu already made landfall on Thursday in Cape Eluanbi, which is the southernmost tip of Taiwan.

The heaviest amount of rain was encountered in the east-coast counties of Taitung and Hualien as well as in the mountainous Pingtung county in the south.

The typhoon was able to bring the fastest wind ever recorded in Taiwan as it approached on Wednesday night.

A weather tracking station placed in Orchid Island recorded Taiwan's strongest wind in 126 years as the typhoon struck the country.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's two main domestic airlines, UNI Air and Mandarin Airlines, also cancelled most of their flights for Thursday while operations of ferries to outlying islands were also suspended.

To recall, Taiwan has been battered by other typhoons in the previous weeks and months.

It was last month when Typhoon Haiku made landfall in eastern Taiwan, which prompted the evacuation of around 4,000 people from high-risk areas.

In August, Taiwan was also pounded with Typhoon Doksuri that resulted in school, work and flight suspensions in the southern part of the island.

Expected to weaken

Weather experts said that Koinu is expected to weaken as it moves west toward the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of southern China.

Still, Typhoon Koinu is expected to drench the coastal areas of southern China over the weekend.

As part of preparation measures, the City of Guangzhou has been proactive enough to cancel some flights and trains starting Friday.

Meanwhile the city's maritime authorities also issued a Level 4 alert - the least severe in a four-tier system, as part of precautionary measures.

On the other hand, officials in the Fujian province suspended 137 ferry trips to guarantee the safety of passengers.

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