Typhoon Koinu, as it was described in the previous article, is a very strong typhoon that reached Category 4 yesterday with maximum sustainable wind speed of 220 km/h. On Wednesday night, as Koinu passed through Orchid island (located southeast of Taiwan), it recorded the highest wind gust speed of 342.7km/h that was ever measured with an anemometer in Taiwan, while at the same time it is the third strongest ever recorded globally.
In more detail, the highest wind gust that was ever recorded in the world is 407 km/h and it was measured on April 10th in 1996, in a weather station on Barrow Island, Australia, during Tropical Cyclone Olivia. The second highest wind gust that was ever recorded in the world is 372 km/h and it was measured on April 12 in 1934 at Mount Washington, New Hampshire.
Typhoon Koinu, made a landfall in the southern areas of Taiwan, as a Category 4, between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, reporting wind gusts of 198.7 km/h, followed by 342.7 km/h, setting records since Taiwan began keeping records of wind speeds in 1897. After its landfall was immediately downgraded to a Category 3 typhoon.
More than 300 hundred people were injured the last few hours, while 170.000 houses were left without electricity, several trees, electricity poles and billboards were uprooted by the wind across southern areas of the country, but buildings and structures essentially withstood the impact and no further damage was reported. However, one victim was reported in Taichung, hit by shards of glass shattered by the wind. Repercussions were also seen in the north of the Philippines, especially in the northern province of Batanes, with some landslides due to heavy rain.
Now, Koinu is centered southwest of Taiwan, still bringing heavy showers in eastern and southern areas of the country. The typhoon has a western direction towards Shanwei and will bring heavy rain and thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday in the coast of China between Xiamen, Raoping County and Shanwei. On Sunday and Monday it will continue moving towards the west reaching Hong Kong as a tropical storm.