Taipei, Taiwan – Typhoon Koinu, a formidable category four cyclone, has unleashed one of the most potent wind gusts ever documented worldwide, injuring nearly 200 individuals as it traversed the southern region of Taiwan during the early hours of Thursday.
On Wednesday night, Typhoon Koinu battered Taiwan’s outermost island, Lanyu (Orchid), with wind gusts reaching a staggering 95.2 meters per second, equivalent to 342.7 kilometers per hour (212.9 miles per hour). According to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), this remarkable wind gust stands as the highest ever recorded in Taiwan since the agency’s inception in 1986, devastating the island’s anemometer.
This extraordinary gust appears to rank as the third most potent ever recorded globally. The record for the highest wind gust was set in 1996 on Western Australia’s Barrow Island, clocking in at 408 kilometers per hour (253.5 miles per hour), surpassing the previous record established in 1934 when a gust of 372 kilometers per hour (231.1 miles per hour) was recorded on Mount Washington in New Hampshire, USA.
After veering north of the Philippines, Typhoon Koinu approached Taiwan’s southeastern coastline. It made landfall as a category four typhoon on the Hengchun Peninsula in the nation’s far south. According to fire services, 190 people sustained injuries, with the majority of incidents occurring in west coast cities, including Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. Chiayi’s emergency operation center noted that some of the injured individuals were riding scooters and were either toppled by fierce winds or struck by falling branches. As of midday Thursday, more than 62,000 homes and businesses were without power.
Reports also indicated waves reaching heights of up to seven meters, with online videos showcasing significant structural damage to homes and storefronts along coastal areas.
In response to the storm, authorities opted to close schools and offices across much of Taiwan, while the capital city, Taipei, continued to function normally. Ferries and domestic flights were suspended or canceled.
Koinu marks the second typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan this year, following Haikui’s arrival in September, which triggered landslides, mass evacuations, and numerous injuries. Taiwan had not directly encountered a typhoon for four years, despite its location within an active tropical storm zone.
