Taiwan battens down for Super Typhoon Kong-rey

Five-meter waves pounded Taiwan's shores Wednesday as Super Typhoon Kong-rey drew near, with forecasters expecting the storm to strengthen before hitting the island as one of the most powerful in years.

Kong-rey's winds were already sustaining maximum speeds of 240 kilometers (150 miles) per hour as it approached Taiwan, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest update.

But that was expected to accelerate to 250 kph before the storm makes landfall in the lightly populated southeast on Thursday.

More than a meter of rain could fall in the hardest-hit areas by Friday as the seasonal monsoon also drenches the island of 23 million people, prompting warnings of landslides and evacuations in vulnerable areas.

Kong-rey was currently more powerful than the deadly Typhoon Gaemi, which was the strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in eight years when it made landfall in July.

"If (Kong-rey) keeps the current wind speed, it will be the biggest typhoon in eight years," Chang Chun-yao from the state weather forecaster, Central Weather Administration, told AFP.

Classes and work were suspended on the two main islands of Taitung county, where the typhoon looks set to make a direct hit, while dozens of ferry services and domestic flights were canceled on Wednesday.

Taipei residents planning to hunker down during the storm stocked up on fresh vegetables, while fishers wearing slickers against the rain tethered their boats in the harbor in Yilan county, southeast of the capital.

"Of course I'm worried. All my assets are here," a fisherman, who gave his name as Captain Chen, told AFP.

Kong-rey was expected to dump the heaviest rain on Taiwan's eastern and northern coastal areas, and over the mountains in the central and southern regions, the Central Weather Administration said.

Yilan and the eastern county of Hualien were expected to be hardest hit, with accumulated rainfall from Tuesday to Friday reaching 800 to 1,200 millimeters (31-47 inches), forecaster Chang told AFP.

"Based on the projected path of the typhoon, we advise Yilan, Hualien and Taitung to take precautions against potential landslides and debris flows in areas expected to receive heavy rainfall," Chang said.

Authorities began evacuating residents from their homes in the southern seaport city of Kaohsiung on Wednesday, as well as in Yilan, Hualien and Taitung, according to the National Fire Agency.

"There is heightened concern as some recovery work from the last typhoon has yet to begin, and extra caution is advised for areas affected by recent earthquakes," said Chen-yu Chen of the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau, who leads a team monitoring disasters in slope areas.

- 'Moving fast' -

Kong-rey was moving at speeds of 19-20 kph and churning up waves up to five metres (16 feet) high around the shoreline, the state weather forecaster said.

Rain fell in Taipei as residents flocked to a market to stock up ahead of the storm.

"When a typhoon comes, everyone cooks at home, so they will buy more," an elderly vegetable vendor surnamed Tsai told AFP.

President Lai Ching-te urged people to stay alert and avoid going to the mountains or the sea.

"This typhoon is moving fast and will bring strong wind and torrential rain," Lai said in a Facebook post.

"Watch out for your safety and pay attention to the latest typhoon information."

The National Fire Agency said the winds could topple signs and trees.

Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October, but forecaster Chang said it was unusual for such a powerful typhoon to hit this late in the year.

"The last occurrence was the Typhoon Nock-ten in October 2004," Chang told AFP.

Scientists have warned climate change is increasing the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains and flash floods and stronger gusts.

Kong-rey will be the third typhoon to hit Taiwan since July.

Gaemi killed at least 10 people, injured hundreds and triggered widespread flooding in the southern seaport of Kaohsiung.

That was followed in early October by Krathon, which killed at least four people and injured hundreds, triggering mudslides, flooding and record-strong gusts.