(Oct 1): Super Typhoon Krathon is bringing strong winds and heavy rains as it heads toward Taiwan, where authorities are trying to save the 19-person crew of a stricken ship.

The Coast Guard Administration said the crew of the Barbados-registered bulk carrier Blue Lagoon decided to abandon ship after the vessel tilted due to flooding. Bad weather prevented a helicopter rescue, and a coast guard vessel is heading to the area.

Schools and offices are closed in six cities and counties in southern and eastern Taiwan, including in the key industrial port city of Kaohsiung. There have been some 15 injuries on the island, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the storm could close offices and markets in the capital Taipei from Wednesday (Oct 2).

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the northern Philippines, which was drenched by the storm earlier this week. Super Typhoon Krathon, known as Julian in the Philippines, had left the country’s waters as of 9am local time (same time in Malaysia), according to the country’s bureau.

The storm “still has a window for brief intensification in the next 24 hours. Afterwards, increasing interaction with the mountainous terrain of Taiwan will slightly weaken the storm prior to landfall,” the Philippine weather bureau said. It’s forecast to make landfall in Taiwan on Wednesday morning.

Taiwan Stock Exchange said that if the Taipei city government closes offices and schools tomorrow, then the exchange will also shut the stock market. Typically, the city would make such an announcement by 8 p.m. Some 141 ship crossings have been cancelled Tuesday, along with 85 domestic flights and nine international flights, according to Taiwan authorities. 

The stricken Blue Lagoon vessel was southwest of Taiwan’s Orchid Island, and the crew includes seven Ukrainians, nine Egyptians and three Russians. 

While the storm is yet to make landfall on Taiwan, authorities started preparations days ago, sending out hundreds of military personnel to the south and east of the island, which is already experiencing heavy rain. 

Some 7,700 people across seven counties have been protectively evacuated, according to the Central Emergency Operation Centre.

The storm was roughly 220km south-southwest of Kaohsiung, with winds of 198kph and gusts of up to 245kph, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.

Taiwan, which started cancelling flights, ship sailings and some train services earlier this week, has wind and rain advisories in place for much of the island. Taiwan regularly experiences typhoons and in July it shut offices and schools and suspended the stock market for two days as storm Gaemi lashed the island with strong winds and heavy rain.

But most such storms typically make landfall on the less-populated east coast, and Krathon appears likely to impact the west, home to most of Taiwan’s heavy industry and manufacturing. Kaohsiung alone has more than 7,700 factories, including a plant being built by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

“TSMC has activated routine typhoon alert preparation procedures at all our Taiwan fabs and construction sites, and we do not expect significant impact to our operations,” the company said in an email. Those measures include putting emergency response teams on standby, inspecting drainage systems, and minimising the use of temporary installations exposed to strong winds.

The impact of Krathon on the Philippines appears to have been much less severe than that of storms seen earlier this year. At least 22 people died in the country in July as Gaemi compounded seasonal monsoon rains. In early September, at least 15 people died in the country as Storm Yagi triggered flash floods and landslides.

Much of Asia is experiencing the rainy season at the moment and Vietnam today warned of possible flooding today as heavy rains sweep across its northern region. Fourteen provinces, particularly in mountainous areas, are at risk of flash floods, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The US has also been grappling with Hurricane Helene and the bad weather globally has given rise to concerns about crops.

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