n early October 2024, Typhoon Krathon hovered ominously off the coast of southwestern Taiwan, poised to unleash torrential rains and damaging winds on the island's densely populated west coast. The storm, one of the strongest in recent years, has already left a path of destruction in its wake, having battered parts of the Philippines before making its way northwest toward Taiwan.
Before approaching Taiwan, Typhoon Krathon, known locally in the Philippines as Typhoon Julian, struck the northern part of the Philippines with fierce winds and heavy rainfall. Between September 29 and 30, the storm ravaged the province of Batanes, where strong winds tore roofs off buildings and toppled trees. As Krathon continued its journey, it gained strength, becoming a significant threat to the regions lying in its path.
On September 30, satellite images from NOAA’s VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the NOAA-20 satellite captured the storm’s position west of the Batanes Islands, approximately 155 kilometers (96 miles) southwest of Taiwan. A closer look at the storm’s eye was provided by NASA’s Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8, showing the swirling cyclone in all its intensity.
The eye of Typhoon Krathon, like most hurricanes, is a circular area of relative calm located at the storm’s center, surrounded by a powerful eyewall of thunderstorms. The eyewall contains the storm’s most intense winds, making it the most dangerous part of the typhoon.
As Krathon moved closer to Taiwan, its intensity continued to rise. By late September 30, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) had classified Krathon as a super typhoon, with sustained winds reaching 240 kilometers (150 miles) per hour. This wind speed is equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane, a storm capable of causing catastrophic damage. According to JTWC, the storm’s well-formed eyewall and immense strength suggested that Krathon had likely reached its peak intensity at this point.
By October 1 and 2, Typhoon Krathon had started to weaken as it moved closer to Taiwan’s coast. The storm's forward movement slowed, but the rain continued to pour down. Between September 30 and October 2, Taiwan’s eastern regions had already received between 150 to 300 millimeters (6 to 12 inches) of rain. Although the eastern part of Taiwan is more accustomed to typhoons due to its mountainous terrain and lower population density, Krathon is predicted to make landfall on the western plains near Kaohsiung, an area that is far more heavily populated.
Unlike most typhoons that target Taiwan’s less populated east coast, Krathon threatens to bring its full force to the island’s western plains. This region, home to many of Taiwan’s cities and communities, could face widespread damage from flooding, landslides, and destructive winds. Though typhoons are common in the Western Pacific, typically forming between May and October, the approach of a storm of Krathon’s magnitude always raises concern, especially when it threatens major population centers.
As Typhoon Krathon nears Taiwan, residents brace for the worst, hoping that the storm’s weakened state will reduce its potential impact. However, with the island’s history of destructive typhoons, the threat remains very real.
Typhoon Krathon, after hammering the Philippines, is now set to test Taiwan's resilience. While it has weakened since reaching super typhoon status, the storm is still expected to cause significant damage, especially in Taiwan’s western regions. As the island braces for the storm’s landfall, its citizens prepare for a weather event that could reshape their landscape, yet again showcasing the power and unpredictability of nature.
Credits: NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang and Lauren Dauphin, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) and Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Emily Cassidy.
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