Taiwan's Central Weather Administration reports and updates

Typhoon Kong-Rey (Leon) Nears Taiwan with 150 mph Winds; Largest Since 1996

Oct 30, 2024, 02:36 PM

Typhoon Kong-Rey, also known as Leon in the Philippines, has rapidly intensified into a powerful Category 4 storm as it moves northwest through the western Pacific towards Taiwan. The typhoon, with sustained winds reaching up to 150 mph (240 km/h) and a central pressure dropping to 925 mbar, is expected to make landfall on Taiwan's east coast on Thursday, October 31, 2024. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration issued sea and land warnings, and authorities have closed schools and offices, canceled flights, and suspended financial markets in preparation for the storm. Orchid Island recorded wind gusts of 175 mph (282 km/h) before the station went offline. Kong-Rey, notable for its unusually large 60-mile-wide eye, is expected to bring up to 400 mm of rainfall and is considered the largest typhoon to threaten Taiwan since Typhoon Herb in 1996. This marks the third typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan this year, an unusual occurrence for this late in the calendar year.